


Someone to Watch Over Me

by MrsElizaHiggins



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Developing Relationship, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Friendship, RUPERT GILES DESERVES A HAPPY ENDING, Romance, Shameless Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 10:48:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 40,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30087966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsElizaHiggins/pseuds/MrsElizaHiggins
Summary: Rupert Giles can easily deal with impending apocalypses, powerful magic, demons, angsty vampires, and hormonal Slayers. After all, he was no ordinary high school librarian. But Samantha Doolittle was no ordinary high school history teacher either.  Now, Sunnydale's resident Watcher finds himself entirely unprepared to deal with the most frightening thing he's ever faced.... navigating his feelings. This is a Rupert Giles x OC story, with the whole Scooby gang getting involved to help their favorite stuffy Brit out!
Relationships: Rupert Giles/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 3





	1. Checking Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! So I have recently revisited one of the best shows of the 90's/ early 2000's.... Buffy the Vampire Slayer! While there is an abundance of eye candy featured in Buffy, one man stands out far above the rest, and that man is Rupert Giles. Honestly, Rupert is the full package. Adorable, sexy, British, intelligent, slightly awkward... I could go on and on. Anthony Stewart Head is a snack, enough said. This is a fanfiction pretty much dedicated to my obsession with Rupert Giles and Anthony Stewart Head in general. It's mostly a lighthearted love story with Rupert and an OC, but the rest Buffy gang will obviously be around for some slaying and to help out their favorite Watcher with his feelings since he is utterly useless. There will absolutely be adult content in this, so you have been forewarned. This starts in Season 3 of Buffy, and while some episodes and plot points from the show will be referenced and used as a backdrop, it is not the primary focus. Happy reading, and enjoy the Giles content!  
> -OBG98

* * *

Rupert Giles sat in a chair in the corner of the Sunnydale Library, a copy of _Vampyr_ flipped open in front of him. Buffy had finally returned from Los Angeles and had been reinstated as a senior at Sunnydale High, much to Giles's immense relief and satisfaction. Now, the Scooby gang was reunited and back on track, giving Giles the sense that something rather apocalyptic was bound to happen soon. Even without an apparent apocalypse, there was plenty to be worried about. Angel had been resurrected and was quite fragile after his recent bout in Hell. Then there was the matter of the new Slayer, Faith, appearing to replace Kendra, and the vampires that were closely on her tail. Plus, there were always new demons and creatures making their presence known in Sunnydale. That didn't even factor in all of the training Buffy still needed as the Slayer, or supervising Willow as she became more adept in her magic practices. 

However, this never ending supernatural to-do list was the last thing on Rupert Giles's mind at the moment. Instead, his sole focus was on the only other individual in the library, who was currently browsing through a dusty old shelf in the history section. Ms. Samantha Doolittle... Sunnydale's world history teacher and the object of Giles's secret pining for the entire two years he had been working at Sunnydale High. She was a couple of years younger than Giles, and had become his closest friend on the faculty early on. She discovered his true profession as a Watcher after an accidental encounter with a demon in the school auditorium, and made it a point not only to keep Giles's secret, but to offer a sympathetic ear to the overworked Englishman and the Scoobies, as well as provide some occasional research assistance when needed. She was the only other individual who frequented the library as often as the Scooby gang, sometimes spending hours idly perusing through books and chatting with Giles in her typical cheerful manner. Samantha was intelligent, kind, outgoing, witty, adept at self-defense, and all around wonderful. Not to mention she was utterly gorgeous.

"For God's sake Rupert, stop staring! She's going to catch you!" Giles thought to himself, his eyes still firmly locked on the backside of Samantha as she bent down to retrieve a text on the Roman Empire. Giles had fallen head over heels in love with her after their very first conversation, when she checked out a Latin text on Emperor Nero. However, being Giles, he'd be damned if he ever admitted that to her face, or to anyone else. After all, Brits were notoriously bad at discussing their feelings. Besides, she was well out of his league and deserved a chance at a normal, happy life... which was far from something a Watcher could ever guarantee. Still, Giles couldn't help but turn into an awkward, blushing schoolboy in her presence, even though he knew nothing would ever happen between them. 

"Is this a new one Rupert?" Samantha asked, causing Giles to smile. Another thing that he absolutely loved about her was that she was one of the few people who called him by his given name. Normally that level of familiarity made Giles uncomfortable, but it just seemed so natural to hear it coming from her. After a year and a half, Samantha had finally convinced Giles to stop calling her Ms. Doolittle and just call her by her first name, which Giles had only just now become comfortable with. Not that he didn't slip up on occasion, after which Samantha would laugh and make some dry remark on the British sense of formality. 

"Erm... yes. I believe it is," Giles answered, his smile widening as he lost himself in his inner musings about Samantha while still staring at her fixedly. Samantha finally turned around to face the smitten librarian, forcing Giles to wipe the smile off of his face immediately. Giles ducked his head and looked down at Vampyr intently, fighting to control his reddening cheeks as he pretended to have been reading.

"Fantastic! If Caligula can't provoke some interest from these kids then I don't know what will," Samantha joked, heading over to where Giles was sitting. She plopped down in the chair next to him, causing Giles's breath to momentarily hitch.

"Sounds like they're in for quite the treat this week Samantha," Giles answered, finally braving a quick look away from his book. Samantha's sparkling blue eyes were fixed on him, a smile growing on her face from his comment. She took a moment to tuck a stray piece of her flowing brown hair behind her ear, adjusting her tall and lithe frame as she leaned back a little in her chair. Giles was spellbound, as he always was whenever he was this close to her.

"Anything interesting going on? New demons to worry about?" Samantha asked casually, gesturing towards the book in Giles's hands. The librarian took a moment to clear his throat, turning his attention back to the book.

"Ah.... no. Not that I know of. There's always work to be done though," Giles replied, absentmindedly taking off his glasses and cleaning them with the sleeve of his jacket. He placed the glasses back on, instantly making his brilliant green eyes seem to shine brighter.

"I'll bet. Buffy mentioned something to me about a new Slayer...Faith?" Samantha continued, causing Giles to grimace.

"Yes... though Buffy should be more careful about spreading that information," Giles sighed, running a hand through his messy, greying brown hair.

"Hey, it's me we're talking about here. You've been my best friend for a couple years now Rupert, and I love the Scoobies dearly. You can trust me," Samantha said quietly, causing Giles's heart to immediately swell. He gave Samantha a soft smile, closing Vampyr and turning to give her his full attention.

"Of course I trust you Samantha, I didn't mean it like that. I'm just... I'm wary about Faith. Something... something isn't right, and I'm frustrated that I can't figure out what it is," Giles admitted, his shoulders slumping slightly.

"You'll figure it out, you always do," Samantha said kindly, getting a weak smile from Giles in return.

"You place too much confidence in me... you all do," Giles muttered, his eyes flashing darkly as he thought about the unknown trouble ahead.

"Don't do that Rupert. I don't know much about Watchers, but I can guarantee that you're one of the best," Samantha said firmly. She reached out and placed a soft hand over Giles's large one, causing the Englishman to freeze instantaneously. He ventured a glance at her face and saw only support and care reflected in her eyes. For a moment, Giles wondered if she felt as he did, but he quickly shot the idea down, reminding himself that she was just being a dependable friend.

"Hey Giles! Guess wha... oh, hey Ms. Doolittle!" Buffy exclaimed, barging unceremoniously into the library. Xander and Cordelia came arm in arm right behind her, followed closely by Willow and Oz. Giles immediately pulled his hand away from Samantha's and shot out of the chair he was sitting in, the Vampyr book falling to the floor as he bumped the table. His face turned beet red, and he began to mumble something unintelligible as he bent down to pick up the book.

"Hey Buffy. Got training today?" Samantha asked, grinning at her student. Her cheeks were slightly red as well, something only Buffy's Slayer senses picked up on.

"Last I checked!" Buffy answered, plopping herself down in a chair and glancing over at her distracted Watcher.

"You helping with research stuff today?" Xander asked, draping an arm around Cordelia as she settled into a chair.

"No, just here to check out a book. Saving the world or not, you all still have a quiz on Friday," Samantha answered, fixing her students with a teasing look. Oz and Xander groaned, causing the girls to laugh.

"At least your quizzes are actually interesting" Buffy remarked, getting a wink from Samantha in return.

"Well, I'd best be getting out of your way. I don't want to take up anymore of Mr. Giles's time," Samantha teased, looking directly over at Giles.

"You never take up too much of my time Saman.... I mean, you... um... you know you're always welcome..." Giles exclaimed a little too loudly, trailing off awkwardly as he attempted to loosen his tie. Willow and Buffy exchanged a quick glance and fought to conceal their smirks, as Samantha flushed and smiled rather shyly.

"Still, I'll leave you to it. I'll just check this out," Samantha said, holding up the book in her hand.

"Of course. Please hold onto it for as long as you need," Giles replied formally, shoving his hands in his pockets and lapsing into an awkward moment of silence.

"Thank you Mr. Giles. I'll be back tomorrow. If you have the time, I'm struggling with a few Latin passages and could use your help with the translations," Samantha said, getting a smile from Giles in return.

"I'll be looking forward to it," Giles replied earnestly, causing Samantha to break out in a wide smile. Waving goodbye to the kids, she glanced over at Giles one more time before heading out the door. Giles took a moment to close his eyes and exhale slowly, before turning around to see five knowing teenagers grinning at him.

"Only you would translate some lame old Latin texts on a date Giles," Xander chimed out, causing Giles to splutter and cough for a moment.

"It is not a date Xander... I am merely assisting a colleague," Giles sniffed, desperately attempting to compose himself as the Scooby gang rolled their eyes at him.

"Keep telling yourself that man," Oz said coolly, leaning back in his chair with a grin.

"Oh leave him alone, he's still working up the courage," Willow scolded, shooting Giles an enthusiastic smile.

"I am not working up the courage for anything Willow. Ms. Doolittle is a co-worker and a friend, and that is the extent of it," Giles said firmly, taking a deep breath to keep himself calm.

"I mean... I don't usually hold hands with all of my friends, but hey, maybe they do it differently in Britain," Cordelia joked.

"We were NOT holding hands. You are completely out of context," Giles exclaimed through gritted teeth.

"Giles, it's obvious you have the hots for her. It's also obvious she's into you too..." Xander started, before Buffy quieted him with a look.

"Giles, we want you two to be happy. We love you and we love Ms. Doolittle. It's not like you'd have to hide your Watcher life from her either, she fully understands what it is you have to do. I know you old Brits are weirdly repressed when it comes to your emotions, but you're always telling me to trust my instincts and fight for what's right. So what's holding you back?" Buffy asked, her tone gentle as she looked intently at her Watcher. For a moment, Giles looked back at her, but he quickly shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

"Enough. I am not having this conversation. It is wildly inappropriate for you all to be interfering in my personal affairs... or Ms Doolittle's. She is a colleague, a friend, and an ally... and that is how it will remain! Now, I am going to take a moment to get some fresh air, and when I return I expect you all to be doing something productive. Buffy, get ready for training," Giles snapped, before storming out through the library door. The Scooby gang all glanced at each other, momentarily silenced by the normally patient Watcher's outburst.

"Guess we hit a nerve," Xander quipped, shrugging his shoulders as he rummaged through his backpack.

"It is so obvious to everyone but the two of them that they should be together," Willow exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration.

"Come on Wil... it's Giles. Feelings are not his thing. He's never going to actually do anything about it, he's too scared to make a move. Besides, he's probably convinced himself that she deserves better or that she's not into him or that she should have a life or some other British gentlemanly bullshit," Xander whined, getting a small chuckle from Oz. Buffy, who had been quietly staring at the door after Giles's exit, made her way over to the group and leaned against the table.

"Giles is always looking out for us. He's saved us all on countless occasions, and whenever we need him he's always there. It's time that we do something for him," Buffy declared, immediately getting everyone's attention... even Cordelia's.

"I'm in. What's the plan?" Willow said instantly, excitement glistening in her eyes.

"Giles is going to have to do this himself. But I know him, and my Slayer senses are telling me that he's on the verge of taking the leap, he just wants some encouragement from her. He lets his guard down when they're all close together like they were before we came in. We can just... give the both of them a little nudge. And I think I know just the place for it..." Buffy said, grinning rather conspiratorially. After relaying her semblance of a plan to the rest of the Scooby gang, everyone exchanged nods and smiles.

"This could work..." Willow squealed, causing Oz to roll his eyes fondly.

"So we're doing this?" Cordelia asked, checking her nails in an attempt to feign disinterest but unable to hide her excitement.

"Yep. It's time for Giles to have someone making him happy for once," Buffy affirmed, getting nods of agreement from her friends.

"Alright then. So Operation Get the Librarian Laid is good to go!" Xander joked.

"We are NOT calling it that!" Willow scolded, reaching across the table to punch Xander in the arm.

"How about... Operation Siles?" Cordelia suggested, getting a slight look of disgust from Oz and Xander.

"Do we really need a name?" Oz complained.

"Guys! Let's just call it... Operation... Watching Out for Our Watcher," Buffy said, getting a nod of approval from Willow.

"I don't think that's any better than Operation Siles," Cordelia grumbled, getting a sympathetic kiss on the cheek from Xander.

"Alright, Giles will be back any minute. Let's all do our best to not look suspicious," Buffy declared, moving away from the group to get ready for training. When Giles came back in a moment later, the teenagers appeared to be flipping through the pages of _Vampyr_ , studying the text intently.

"What's going on in here? Why are you all... quiet? And are you actually READING?" Giles asked, narrowing his eyes at the group.

"Just doing what you said, Watcher-Mine... now let's go train," Buffy said cheerfully, marching up to Giles and taking him by the arm.

"Whatever they are all up to... I'd rather face another apocalypse," Giles groaned inwardly, before allowing himself to be dragged away by Buffy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there's chapter one! I'm getting to the good stuff soon because I just want this to primarily be about Giles and Samantha being all loved up, but I couldn't resist getting the Scooby gang involved on giving Giles the kick in the pants that he needs!


	2. Homecoming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Here's chapter 2! It takes place during the Buffy homecoming episode in Season 3, so some of that might be referenced, but it may be tweaked a bit. I'm ignoring the Willow and Xander kiss storyline because it is not the primary focus here, but I couldn't resist letting SlayerFest '98 interfere with Operation Siles just a little (I'm with Cordelia on the name). Hope you enjoy!  
> -OBG98

"Okay... so Buffy has obviously been delayed, same with Cordelia. I'm assuming they're still in a catfight over who's going to be homecoming queen," Willow sighed, glancing around the dance floor for any sign of the blonde Slayer. Xander was fidgeting next to her, craning his neck to see if he could spot either Buffy or his girlfriend.

"I haven't seen Ms. Doolittle either... do you think she's here?" Xander asked, turning to see Willow looking past him with a troubled expression on her face.

"Is that... Faith? I thought she was coming with Buffy," Willow said, pointing towards the dance floor. The new Slayer was obviously enjoying herself, dancing up a storm, but there was no Buffy in sight.

"Okay... something's definitely going on here," Xander muttered. The two friends exchanged a worried look and started to make their way over to Faith.

"Wait... Ms. Doolittle is over there!" Willow exclaimed suddenly, stopping in her tracks and pointing to the corner of the auditorium. Samantha was leaning up against the wall, wearing a lovely black dress, talking to one of the other history teachers.

"Wow! She looks fantastic!" Xander whistled, flushing a little as Willow rolled her eyes at him.

"I say we just move forward with the plan. We don't need Buffy and Cordelia. I'll get Ms. Doolittle and you can get Giles. We'll get them to the library and I'll just magick the door shut or something. I know it's not the original idea but I think it'll work just fine," Willow said firmly.

"What about Buffy and Cordey?" Xander asked, raising an eyebrow at Willow.

"We can worry about them after. Let's just get Giles and Ms. Doolittle locked in together, and then we can figure out what's going on," Willow insisted, getting a shrug from Xander.

"Alright, let's do this. Buffy is going to be pissed that she missed out," Xander said, before taking off to find Giles. Willow made her way over to Samantha, who was doing her best not to look bored out of her mind as her colleague continued to drone on.

"Hi Willow! Is everything alright?" Ms. Doolittle asked, shooting Willow a momentary look of relief as the man next to her stopped talking.

"Hi Ms. Doolittle, hi Mr. Page... um, Ms. Doolittle, can I talk to you for a second?" Willow said, getting a concerned look from Samantha. Mr. Page nodded and wandered off aimlessly, looking around for some other individual to make his unwilling conversation captive.

"I owe you one Willow, he could have gone on all night," Samantha sighed.

"You looked like you needed some rescuing. But I actually do have to talk to you about something. We could really use your help with some...urgent research," Willow blurted out, watching as Samantha's expression immediately morphed into one of concern.

"What's going on? Is that where Giles has been all night? I've been looking for him but I couldn't find him anywhere," Samantha admitted.

"Um... yeah. He asked me to come get you," Willow said quickly, trying her best not to sound suspicious.

"Let's go then," Samantha said, hurriedly following Willow out of the auditorium and towards the library. The pair threw open the doors to see Giles standing by his desk alone, a concerned expression on his face.

"Ms. Doolittle? Is everything alright?" Giles asked, his eyes widening a little. Samantha took a moment to appreciate how handsome Giles looked in his suit, before snapping herself out of it and heading towards him.

"I was going to ask the same thing. What's going on? What exactly are we researching?" Samantha asked. Giles's brow furrowed in confusion, and he began to shake his head slowly.

"Researching? Nothing that I know of. Xander told me that he was gathering everyone in the library for an emergency meeting," Giles replied.

"But Willow said..." Samantha started, before raising her eyebrows and turning around to face the sheepish teenager, who was standing quietly at the door.

"Um... I think I hear Xander! I'll be back! Bye!" Willow squeaked, before hurriedly shutting the door behind her. Samantha and Giles stood silently for a moment, attempting to piece together what had just happened.

"So, that was strange," Samantha remarked, getting a dry chuckle from Giles. The librarian took a moment to glance over the woman standing across from him, feeling his heart rate increase as he took in her figure in the well-fitting black dress.

"Er... yes. I suppose we'd better find out what's really happening," Giles said, moving towards the library door. He attempted to turn the handle, but the door remained tightly shut. He jostled the handle again, to no avail.

"What's wrong?" Samantha asked, making her way over to the door and standing beside the befuddled Englishman.

"The door appears to be locked," Giles answered simply, his gaze firmly fixed on the door handle in front of him.

"What? I thought you could only lock it from the inside. Don't you have the key?" Samantha asked, looking at the door in alarm. Slowly, it began to dawn on Giles what was actually going on, and he let out a groan of frustration as he leaned his head against the door. Samantha glanced over at him with raised eyebrows, obviously still confused.

"I'm afraid the key won't do us any good. It's been...magicked shut," Giles replied through gritted teeth.

"Magicked...? Wait, did Willow do this? Why?" Samantha asked, her confusion growing more evident by the moment. Giles, on the other hand, was doing his best to keep the blush from spreading across his entire body.

"This is what I get for spending all my time with meddling teenagers... why can't they just leave my love life alone?" Giles cursed inwardly, though he begrudgingly admitted to himself that they had the best intentions at heart.

"Rupert?" Samantha asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. The librarian glanced over at her, noticing confusion, concern, and a slight hint of amusement in her gaze. Giles felt his throat go dry as he stood inches away from her, the touch of her hand sending electricity coursing through his body.

"Just tell her! Stop being a bloody fool! The children are right!" Giles's heart seemed to scream at him. Samantha grew slightly uncomfortable as he continued to stare at her in silence, and subconsciously bit at the corner of her lip, forcing Giles to stifle a groan. All Giles wanted to do was sweep her up in his arms and kiss her senseless, but considering they were currently locked in the library together, he'd have nowhere to run and hide afterward when she inevitably rejected him.

"Maybe we should sit down? Wait for Willow to come back?" Samantha suggested, trying to fight the blush on her cheeks under Giles's gaze. Samantha had resigned herself to an existence of unrequited love the second she had met Giles. While being locked in a room with him was basically Samantha's dream come true, she knew that the librarian didn't feel the same way about her. Knowing his sense of propriety, Samantha imagined that he was most likely feeling very uncomfortable being trapped in a room alone with a female colleague, friend or not. Samantha was doing her best to push her feelings aside and make the best of the situation for both of them, despite still having no clue as to what was going on.

"Erm... yes. I suppose that's..." Giles stammered, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. Averting his eyes and choosing to look anywhere but in her direction, he slowly made his way over to the desk. He was keenly aware of her watching him as he moved, and he closed his eyes in an attempt to compose himself as he sat down. However, he found himself tumbling backwards very quickly to the floor, having missed the chair entirely in his distracted state, and let out a yelp of pain as he smacked his head against the edge of a bookshelf.

"Rupert! Are you alright?" Samantha called out, hurrying over to him and kneeling on the ground beside him. Giles sat up and rubbed at the back of his head, his expression absolutely mortified.

"Yes, yes I'm fine," Giles answered quickly, wishing that some sort of portal would swallow him up and spit him out as far away from Sunnydale as possible.

"You know, sitting is usually far more successful if there's a chair underneath you," Samantha teased, unable to stifle a giggle once she determined that Giles was alright. The librarian flushed red with embarrassment, before finally cracking a small smile as Samantha continued to giggle at him.

"Someone needs to occasionally check and ensure that gravity is still intact," Giles joked, causing Samantha to laugh a little louder. Giles started laughing as well, finding Samantha's laughter so contagious that he couldn't help but join in, his embarrassment fading.

"Here, let me take a look at your head," Samantha chuckled, reaching out to gently touch the back of Giles's head to ascertain the damage. Giles immediately stopped laughing, and swallowed hard as he felt Samantha's fingers softly comb through his hair.

"Honestly, it's completely alright. I've suffered much worse..." Giles protested, hoping that Samantha couldn't hear just how loudly his heart was beating. Samantha withdrew her hand, causing Giles to slowly exhale.

"You...you're glasses are crooked," Samantha said softly, hesitating for a moment before reaching out and readjusting them on his face. Giles swore he saw something flash in Samantha's eyes, causing his breath to catch in his throat. Before he even realized what he was doing, he reached up and took hold of Samantha's hand, pressing it firmly against his cheek. Neither one of them dared to move for a moment as they sat there, staring at each other.The air around them was thick with tension, and the only audible sound was the ticking of the clock on the wall.

"Samantha... I....I...May I...?" Giles stuttered, panic setting in as he felt his courage begin to wane. He took a moment to study her face intently, and saw something that almost looked like anticipation in her expression. Giles felt hope rise like a bubble in his chest, and without saying another word began to lean in towards her slowly. Samantha mirrored his motion, moving her other hand to rest gently on Giles's knee. Closing his eyes, Giles took a deep breath and began to close the gap between them, his lips almost touching hers....

BANG! The library doors flew open and off of their hinges with a crash as two vampires came barreling into the library. Giles's eyes snapped open and he shot up onto his feet, scanning the room for the closest available item that could be used as a weapon. Giles barely had time to register the figure stalking towards him before he found himself being lifted by the lapels of his suit jacket and pinned up against the wall.

"Well well... we've got ourselves a Watcher here Candy. Tell me old man, where's your Slayer hidin'? Me and the missus are aimin' to win this SlayerFest competition," the male vampire drawled in a deep Southern accent. The vampire was dressed like a cowboy, complete with the hat and boots. Giles looked over the vampire's shoulder to see his female counterpart, whom he assumed was called Candy, dressed in a purple leopard print dress and a gaudy pink coat.

"I don't see her Lyle," Candy whined, stomping her foot in frustration.

"You have no idea who you're dealing with," Giles said calmly, though he had a million questions racing through his mind.

"You're in no position to be making threats Watcher. Now, start talkin' or..." Lyle started, before he was cut off by an Oxford dictionary hitting him squarely in the face. Lyle let out a roar of surprise and stumbled backward, his grip on Giles loosening enough for the librarian to free himself. Giles turned to see Samantha standing a few feet from him, brandishing the heaviest volume of the Encyclopedia Brittanica she could find as a weapon. Giles shot her an impressed look before springing into action, lunging over to his desk in an attempt to find something sharp.

"Samantha! Run!" Giles yelled, turning to see the history teacher fending off Candy to the best of her ability with the large book. Giles catapulted over the desk and charged at Candy, tackling her to the ground.

"Behind you!" Samantha screamed, causing Giles to whip around in time to see Lyle nearly on top of him, his fangs bared. Giles quickly managed to land a few punches, before the vampire got in one of his own, sending the Watcher stumbling backwards into a bookshelf.

"Get 'em Lyle!" Candy whooped, before shrieking in pain as Samantha dragged the vampire down by the hair. Lyle lunged at Giles, who dodged the attack and rolled out of the way. He looked over to see Samantha and Candy rolling on the floor, the vampire finally gaining the upper hand as she pinned Samantha to the ground. With a growl, Giles picked up an overturned chair and swung it wildly, connecting with Candy's head. The vampire was instantly knocked off of Samantha and sprawled across the floor, momentarily dazed by the force of the blow.

"Samantha! Get into the book cage!" Giles ordered, helping the woman to her feet and pushing her towards the book cage.

"Are you crazy? I'm not leaving you out here on your own!" Samantha yelled back. Giles attempted to steer her towards the book cage, intent on locking her in safely and grabbing a proper weapon, but before he could get the chance he found himself yanked backwards by a very angry Lyle.

"You hit my wife!" Lyle screeched, picking up Giles and tossing him headfirst against the wall. The librarian crumpled to the ground, rendered unconscious by the blow.

"Giles!" Samantha screamed. She started towards him, but was stopped in her tracks as Lyle wheeled around to face her, a menacing grin on his face. Candy had gotten back up as well, coming up behind her undead husband as the two of them began to stalk towards Samantha.

"What a nice way to warm up before the REAL fightin' begins," Lyle sneered. Samantha began to back up slowly, feeling the cold metal of the book cage pressed up against her back. She fumbled with the door, trying to twist the lock without turning her back, but she knew the vampires would reach her before she get the door open.

"Hey ugly!" A female voice called out. There was a slight whooshing sound as a thin, black object came soaring through the air, before firmly impaling Candy in the back. The female vampire looked up in shock for a moment, before disintegrating to dust. Samantha looked to the spot where Candy once stood to see a spatula, before glancing across the room where Buffy and Cordelia were standing, both girls looking relatively bedraggled in their formal wear.

"CANDY!" Lyle wailed, before spinning around and charging towards Buffy in a fury. While Buffy and Cordelia took on the vampire, Samantha rushed over to Giles, who was still laying on the floor.

"Rupert? Rupert! Come on Giles, wake up!" Samantha muttered, shaking the Watcher by the shoulders. Giles let out a small groan of pain, causing Samantha to sigh in relief. Noticing the decent sized gash on Giles's forehead, Samantha looked around for a tissue or something she could use to stop the bleeding. As she stood, her eyes widened when she noticed Lyle had knocked Buffy to the floor, and was looming over her. She was even more shocked to see Cordelia standing toe to toe with the vampire, jabbing a finger directly into his chest.

"Listen up, needle-brain. Buffy and I have taken out four of your cronies, not to mention your girlfriend. The point is, I haven't even broken a sweat. See, in the end, Buffy's just the runner-up. *I'm* the Queen. You get me mad, what do you think I'm gonna do to you?" Cordelia threatened, her cold stare never wavering. The vampire seemed to hesitate for a moment, before slowly backing away from the two girls.

"Fine. But I'll be back... for the both of you," Lyle hissed, before disappearing out of the library. Samantha stared at Cordelia for a long moment, an amazed expression on her face, before turning her attention back to Giles, who was beginning to come to.

"Sam...Samantha?" Giles mumbled groggily, blinking his eyes rapidly as he tried to clear his vision.

"Shh... take it easy Rupert. Everything's fine, Buffy and Cordelia are here..." Samantha started, causing Giles's eyes to go wide with panic.

"The vampires!" Giles exclaimed, attempting to sit up. The sudden movement caused him to hiss in pain, and Samantha placed both hands on her shoulders in order to steady him.

"Everything's fine. The vampires are gone. Don't get up too fast Rupert, you took a nasty hit to the head," Samantha soothed, smiling as Giles appeared to relax a little.

"Is Giles okay?" Buffy asked, finally having recovered from being knocked down. Her and Cordelia joined Samantha, looking over Giles with some concern.

"I'm alright Buffy, thanks to you," Giles said, beginning to regain his bearings.

"Actually, it's thanks to Cordelia," Buffy replied with a grin. Giles glanced over at Cordelia with raised eyebrows. The teenager merely shrugged at him in return.

"Would someone mind explaining what exactly is going on?" Giles sighed, shakily getting to his feet. Samantha instinctively reached out to help his balance, getting a grateful smile from Giles as he wrapped his arm around her.

"It's kind of a long story," Buffy admitted.

"Someone organized a SlayerFest. The creeps all thought I was Faith. We got hunted. Buffy and I won," Cordelia answered casually, scowling as she attempted to wipe some of the dirt off of her dress.

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up," Buffy affirmed. Giles opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by the sound of Willow, Xander, Faith, and Oz all running into the library.

"Is everyone okay?" Willow asked, glancing around at her friends.

"Yeah, we're fine Wil. How did you know we were here?" Buffy asked.

"Xander was in the hallway and heard the crash. He ran back to get the rest of us, but it looks like you already had it handled," Faith replied, looking at the rather chaotic state of the upheaved library.

"But why were Giles and Ms. Doolittle by themselves with the vampires?" Buffy asked, causing Willow to adopt a sheepish expression.

"That... that was my fault. I'm so sorry, I had no idea that those vampires were here," Willow exclaimed, looking over at Samantha and Giles. The rest of the gang also looked at the two adults, exchanging grins when they saw that Giles still had his arm tightly wrapped around Samantha. The Watcher eventually noted this as well, turning a deep shade of red as he reluctantly let go of Samantha and cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Right... well, I think we all need to have a bit of a discussion. This has been a very confusing evening..." Giles started, staring pointedly at Xander and Willow. "Buffy and Cordelia, you need to tell us exactly what you saw when you were taken for this...SlayerFest," Giles continued, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Sure thing Giles... but... can it wait an hour or two? Our last homecoming is halfway over, and I really want to know if I got homecoming queen," Buffy pleaded.

"Fat chance," Cordelia snorted, getting a glare from Buffy. The rest of the gang looked over at Giles expectantly. Buffy fixed her mentor with one last pleading look, forcing Giles to sigh and shake his head.

"Fine... but after the dance we are all convening at my apartment. We have quite a bit to discuss," Giles said firmly, unable to fight the smile growing on his face as the Scooby gang gave each other excited looks. Willow used a quick spell to place the doors back on their hinges, before the teenagers all took off for the auditorium. The library descended into a silence once again as the two adults found themselves alone, the atmosphere between them suddenly changed.

"Rupert? Thank you for... for saving me. You've got some serious moves," Samantha finally said, breaking the silence.

"I should be thanking you. That was a very well-aimed book that you threw," Giles replied, blushing slightly from Samantha's praise.

"Just serves as proof that words can be used as weapons," Samantha laughed.

"Truthfully, I would have found myself in a bit of a predicament if you hadn't been there. I am so sorry you were unwittingly placed into harm's way," Giles said seriously, shooting Samantha a rather guilty looking glance. He knew they had been so close to having a moment before the vampires burst in, but the attack served as a clear reminder as to why Samantha was much better off without him. He'd never be able to forgive himself if she ended up in danger because of him.

"Rupert... I'll always be there to help the people that I lo... that I care about. I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat," Samantha said firmly, interrupting Giles's melancholy inner musings. Samantha reached out and placed a hand on Giles's arm comfortingly, forcing the Watcher to look at her properly. His dazzling green eyes met her blue ones as the two stared at each other. For a moment, Giles contemplated picking up where they had left off, but his hesitation got the best of him and he took a step backwards, shoving his hands deeply into his pockets.

"I suppose we are of no use just standing around in the library," Giles said awkwardly, glancing down at his shoes.

"Right... um, so do you... do you need help getting to your apartment or anything? Are you sure your head is okay?" Samantha asked, doing her best to mask the disappointment in her voice.

"Actually, I was thinking of returning to the dance, if you'd like to accompany me? I'm not sure I want to leave the children completely unsupervised for now, just in case there are any other supernatural beings lurking about," Giles replied, running a hand through his thoroughly disheveled hair.

"That's probably a good idea," Samantha answered, smiling up at Giles. The pair slowly made their way out of the library, the sounds of the boisterous auditorium only partially jarring them back into reality. Giles weaved his way through various Sunnydale students to find a rather secluded corner, Samantha following quickly behind. The two adults had a decent view of the Scooby gang, who were making their way towards the foot of the stage in anticipation of the homecoming court announcements.

"Alright Sunnydale! Grab your dates... this is a slow one for all the lovebirds out there," a man announced from the stage. The lights of the auditorium dimmed and a slow ballad began to play. Giles took that moment to glance over at Samantha, who was smiling fondly in the direction of the Scooby gang as they began to dance. Samantha's blue eyes and her smile seemed to light up the entire auditorium, her radiant face framed by the silky brown hair cascading to her shoulders. She was utterly stunning, her gorgeous external appearance only magnified by her equally magnificent inner beauty. To Giles, she was absolutely perfect, and he took a deep breath as he mustered up all courage he could find and held out a hand to her.

"Ms. Doolittle... May I have this dance?" Giles asked formally, his voice shaking slightly. Samantha's eyes widened in surprise as she looked up at him, before breaking into a beaming smile as she gracefully took his hand.

"Mr. Giles.... I'd be honored," she replied, placing her free hand on his shoulder. Giles wrapped his arm around her waist and assumed a traditional waltz pose. The pair began to sway gently to the music, their eyes locked on each other as the rest of the auditorium seemed to completely disappear around them. Samantha stepped closer into Giles's embrace, and the librarian felt his heart nearly leap out of his chest. He paused suddenly, causing Samantha to look at him in confusion.

"Samantha... may... can... may I.... kiss you?" Giles whispered, his voice barely audible as he finally decided to throw caution to the wind. Samantha's mouth dropped open slightly as she stared at him in stunned silence, making Giles momentarily panic as he wondered if he had just made a monumental mistake.

"I thought you'd never ask," Samantha replied, her voice cracking slightly as she fixed him with an utterly elated expression. Giles stood stock still for a moment, attempting to process what she had just said. As it finally hit him, the Englishman's smile grew impossibly wide, and he had to will himself to not jump in the air and let out a victory cry. With only a moment's hesitation, Giles leaned down towards Samantha, closed his eyes, and slowly pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was tentative and soft, but full of the promise of future passion as Samantha wound her arms around Giles's neck, allowing the kiss to deepen.

* * *

"You guys... look!" Willow hissed excitedly, getting the attention of the rest of the gang. They all looked in the direction she was pointing, shock on their faces as they looked to the corner and saw Samantha wrapped in Giles's arms, the two still sharing a passionate kiss.

"Oh... my... god..." Cordelia exclaimed, a happy smile spreading across her face.

"Finally!" Buffy sighed, grinning fondly as she looked over at her Watcher.

"It worked Wil!" Xander whooped, holding out his hand for a high five.

"Let them have their moment...come on," Buffy said, the gang all happily exchanging glances before turning their attention back to the dance. 

* * *

Over in the corner, the two adults remained completely oblivious, before a breathless Giles reluctantly pulled away to come up for air. Samantha leaned her forehead against the Watcher's shoulder, sighing contentedly before letting out a slight giggle. Giles took a step back, raising his eyebrows questioningly.

"I'm sorry Rupert... I just... I think I just put together why Willow and Xander locked us in the library," Samantha explained, getting a sheepish grin from Giles in return.

"I'll admit, I'm rather glad they meddled... not that I'd ever tell them that. I've been rather suspicious that the entire group has been concocting a plan to force me to admit my feelings for some time now. Apparently it was blatantly obvious that you and I, as Xander put it, have 'the hots for one another,'" Giles laughed. Samantha giggled again, taking Giles's hands and squeezing them tightly.

"I wasn't exactly concealing it Rupert. I've used every excuse in the book to linger in the library far longer than I needed to. I think they probably figured it out when I started coming in to ask you for recommendations on mathematics textbooks," Samantha replied, blushing a little as Giles cocked an eyebrow at her.

"You know... I never actually put that together," Giles said, causing Samantha to roll her eyes and grin at him.

"Your obliviousness is both frustrating and endearing," Samantha teased. Giles grinned back, before adopting a thoughtful expression, reaching out to tuck a stray piece of Samantha's hair back behind her ear.

"I never let myself imagine that... that you possessed the same feelings. I'd written that off as merely a fantasy. I convinced myself so thoroughly that you only saw me as a friend and colleague in order to protect my feelings that I became blinded to any signals you might have been sending my way. You... are one of the most remarkable people I have ever met, and deserve so much more than what I can..." Giles rambled on earnestly, before being halted by Samantha placing a finger to his lips.

"You are who I want... who I've always wanted since the moment I met you. Don't try and sell yourself short to me, because it won't work. I know your life is... complicated. I know being a Watcher is time consuming and unbelievably dangerous. But I don't care Giles... I just want to be with you. Whatever it is, whatever comes our way... you, me, and the kids... we can handle it together from now on," Samantha said passionately, her eyes glistening with unspoken emotion as she looked hopefully up at Giles. The Watcher felt a surge of love and unadulterated joy course through his body as he looked back at the woman in front of him.

"Samantha... I.... I don't know what to say... I can't believe... this... this is all like a dream..." Giles mumbled, swallowing hard to fight back the lump in his throat.

"Just kiss me again you silly man," Samantha laughed, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Giles happily obliged, this time pulling her close and kissing her as fiercely as public decency would allow.

* * *

Over the noise of the auditorium and through the crowds of jubilated high school students, Buffy focused her Slayer senses. Dancing next to all of her friends, Buffy smiled softly to herself as she saw her Watcher finally hold the woman he had fallen for in his arms. While the last Sunnydale Homecoming Dance for the Scooby gang came to a close, Buffy was certain that this was only the beginning of a wonderful adventure for her mentor and the history teacher. Across the room, Giles locked eyes with Buffy for just a moment as he danced with Samantha. An unspoken glance was all that was needed between the two as they exchanged gentle smiles, before a crowd of students quickly blocked Giles from Buffy's view.

"Way to go Giles," Buffy thought, before turning her attention back to her friends joining back in on the dance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's chapter 2!! A quick note, the exchange between Cordelia and Lyle the vampire was an actual quote from the episode, it was too good not to include. Going forward, Samantha and Giles's relationship will progress rather quickly, because this is mostly a fluffy romance story and I enjoy seeing Giles happy. The next chapter will be up soon! I hope you enjoyed!


	3. Date Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Here's chapter 3! More mature content will start coming up, potentially in this chapter but for sure in the near future, just as a general warning. Happy reading!  
> -OBG98

"Rupert? Are you in here?" Samantha called out, poking her head through the library door and looking around for the librarian.

"In the book cage!" Giles answered, getting a smile from Samantha as she came into the library and shut the door. Giles emerged after a moment, carrying two training staffs and a stack of books. He quickly set the items on the main desk before turning to face Samantha. 

"Are the kids here yet?" Samantha asked, growing rather breathless as she noticed the twinkle in Giles's stunning green eyes. 

"No... just me," Giles said, striding over to Samantha with a grin. 

"Good... because I've been wanting to do this all day," Samantha said simply, before reaching out and pulling Giles forward by the tie, kissing him hard. The librarian kissed her back eagerly, holding Samantha close to him as he wound a hand through her hair.

It had only been about five days since homecoming, and neither adult had been able to successfully come down from the high of having their feelings out in the open and mutually returned. They were both acting like besotted teenagers, but neither one of them really cared. Giles was thoroughly convinced this was the happiest he had ever been, with the past five days filled with secret smiles in the hall, a casual brush against the arm at lunch time, and moments like this alone in the library.

"You could have come to see me sooner you know," Giles whispered, pulling away from Samantha for a moment and running his thumb gently across her lower lip. Samantha shuddered under his touch, wondering if Giles knew just how unbelievably sexy he was all the time.

"Was it worth the wait?" Samantha asked cheekily, getting an adoring grin from Giles in return. He answered her question by merely leaning in to kiss her again. Giles's large hands framed Samantha's face as he kissed her, and he let out a soft groan as Samantha's tongue darted out to clash with his. When the finally pulled apart, Samantha let out a contented sigh as the librarian leaned his forehead against hers, causing Giles's heart to skip a beat.

"What are you doing this evening?" Giles asked, lifting his head and taking a step back to look at her properly.

"I'm not sure... why?" Samantha returned quizzically, raising an eyebrow at him.

"While the homecoming dance was lovely, it just occurred to me that I haven't asked you on a proper date yet," Giles explained, blushing somewhat shyly as his pale green eyes met her twinkling blue ones.

"I see... in that case, I'm completely free this evening," Samantha answered, grinning widely as she ran her hands down the lapels of Giles's blazer.

"Fancy coming over to mine for dinner? Or if you'd rather go out I'm sure I can get a reservation somewhere..." Giles continued, a little nervousness in his tone as he worried about being too forward.

"Your place sounds wonderful. Gotta love a man who can cook," Samantha teased, getting a chuckle from Giles.

"Well, I'm not exactly a gourmet chef... but I can certainly make something edible," Giles replied, blushing slightly.

"What time should I come over?" Samantha asked, her eyes shining brightly.

"Half past six?" Giles returned, getting a nod from Samantha.

"I'm looking forward to it... though it feels like we are kind of past the whole 'dating' phase... like we've been doing this weird, semi-courtship for awhile now and are just properly settling into being together, if that makes sense? It could be me just rushing it but..." Samantha rambled, panicking a little as she noted Giles's change in expression.

"Oddly enough... I know exactly what you mean," Giles assured, reaching out to squeeze her hand comfortingly. Samantha smiled at him happily, her fingers tangling into his wavy, greying-brown hair as he leaned in for another kiss. The pair continued to kiss passionately, oblivious to the sound of the library door opening and then closing shut.

"Ahem," someone coughed, causing the adults to break apart and spin around. The entire Scooby gang was staring at them, all wearing matching smirks on their faces. Giles immediately reddened and stepped away from Samantha, but still held onto her hand tightly.

"Giles, we're happy you're all in love and stuff, but we really don't need to see you guys making out in the library all the time," Xander quipped, causing Willow to slap him in the arm.

"Leave them alone! I think it's adorable," Willow gushed. Both Giles and Samantha turned beet red, with Giles suddenly finding the floor of the library very interesting.

"So, I take it you guys aren't surprised..." Samantha finally said, breaking the slightly awkward silence.

"Nope! Saw you guys get together at the dance. We're really happy for you both," Buffy said brightly, smiling at the history teacher. Samantha smiled back, somewhat relieved to have the relationship out in the open without a huge fuss. 

"Well, it appears that it's time for training!" Giles burst out awkwardly, desperately attempting to change the subject. The Scooby gang rolled their eyes and started to settle into the library, with Buffy shooting her Watcher a knowing grin. 

"I'll see you tonight then?" Samantha whispered to Giles, getting a soft smile from the librarian in return. 

"Tonight," Giles affirmed, blushing as Samantha placed a chaste kiss on his cheek before walking out the library door. 

"He's so cute when he's in love," Willow squealed, causing Giles to redden once again with embarrassment. 

"I wouldn't go THAT far Willow..." Giles stammered, quickly shoving his hands into his pockets. 

"Oh please! You are SUCH the smitten kitten," Cordelia chimed in, getting a laugh from Buffy and Xander. Giles repeatedly opened and shut his mouth, momentarily too flustered to speak. 

"Can we drop the subject please?" Giles begged, shooting a rather pleading look at Buffy.

"Alright, we've had our fun. It's time to train," Buffy finally said, rolling her eyes as Giles let out a relieved sigh. The rest of the afternoon passed rather quickly, and soon the gang was packing up and ready to leave for the evening. As they all filed out of the library, Giles placed a hand on Buffy's shoulder, holding her back for a moment.

"Please don't run and tell the others, but I invited Ms. Doolittle over for dinner this evening. Obviously, I'll be at home if you need me, but I would really prefer..." Giles started, being being cut off by Buffy.

"Giles... say no more. You'll remain undisturbed unless it's absolutely necessary," Buffy interjected, winking at her Watcher. Giles shifted in slight discomfort, but allowed a grateful smile to appear on his face as Buffy walked off to join her friends.

"Well, I'd best be getting ready," Giles mumbled to himself after a moment, before shutting the library door and heading out into the hallway. 

* * *

"Dinner was fantastic Rupert! My compliments to the chef," Samantha teased, causing Giles to blush slightly as he began clearing the plates from the table. It had been an absolutely wonderful evening so far, with the two of them spending the past couple of hours enjoying the wine and each other's company as they ate at Giles's apartment. Any initial nerves the two of them may have had at the start of their first 'official' date passed quickly, and they slipped right into their usual banter and easy conversation as Giles prepared a pasta dish for them both, never running out of things to talk about all throughout dinner.

"It was nothing really," Giles shrugged, shaking his head at Samantha as she rose to help him clear the table. 

"I insist on helping clear up. Besides, it'll go faster this way," Samantha said firmly, countering Giles's protest. The two began to clean up in companionable silence, with Samantha whistling a tune under her breath as she washed the dishes, handing them off to Giles so that he could dry them. 

The librarian watched her as she continued to work, radiating a cheerful energy even when engaging in the most mundane of tasks. Giles often found himself feeling old and tired, worn down by his responsibilities, but whenever he was with Samantha a bit of his youthfulness always returned. He found himself pondering for the thousandth time in five days what on earth she saw in him. His heart clenched a little as he wondered if this was too good to be true, if she was going to wake up and realize she could have her pick of any man, and that he wasn't worth the... 

"What the hell?" Giles spluttered, his face suddenly doused with water. He blinked rapidly and took off his glasses to wipe them clean, the front of his shirt soaked through. He looked over to see Samantha giggling at him, an empty glass in her hand.

"You seemed distracted," Samantha teased, giggling again as Giles stared at her, completely dumbfounded. Giles reached up to run a hand through his hair, only to notice that Samantha had placed soap suds on his head, causing the history teacher to burst into another fit of giggles.

"How old are you?" Giles asked sarcastically, glaring at Samantha as he wiped the soap suds from his head.

"I'm 33 and a half, thank you very much," Samantha chirped back, grinning at the Englishman impishly.

"Fine then. If you want to play games..." Giles growled, before reaching out to fill up his own cup with water. Samantha shrieked and immediately ran out of the kitchen, causing Giles to drop the cup and race after her, a somewhat wild grin on his face. He quickly caught up to Samantha, picking her up effortlessly in his arms.

"Giles! Put me down! You're going to hurt yourself old man!" Samantha laughed, squirming in his arms. Giles raised an eyebrow at her, his expression slightly indignant.

"Old? I'm 39 and a quarter... thank you very much," Giles replied teasingly, before unceremoniously dropping Samantha onto the couch. He stood above her, the both of them laughing at their own childish behavior. However, Giles's laughter quickly died as he loomed above her, heat beginning to spread through his veins as Samantha lay sprawled on the couch, her hair wild and her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Her cheeks were flushed red from laughing, and her blue eyes were sparkling with pure joy. She was absolutely breathtaking, and Giles felt his breath hitch as she sat up slightly against the arm of the couch, her dress rolling up to reveal more of her long and slender legs.

"Rupert?" Samantha whispered, her voice growing quiet as she noticed the shift in Giles's demeanor. His pale green eyes were practically smoldering behind the frames of his glasses, and his hair was a tousled mess. Samantha bit her lip as she clearly noticed his wet button down shirt, the material clinging to him and revealing the muscles that made up his typically covered up physique.

"Y...yes?" Giles drawled out, clearing his throat as he heard his voice crack. Samantha shivered, her eyes darkening a little with want. She had always found Giles's voice to be thoroughly mesmerizing, with his silky smooth lilt and the soothing, crisp British accent. Now, his voice was utterly melting her, the already deep and captivating tone seeming to drop another octave. 

"Come here," Samantha breathed, reaching up towards him. In one swift motion, the Watcher whipped off his glasses and placed them on the coffee table, kneeling down onto the couch as he hovered over Samantha. He paused for a moment, before closing the gap between them and kissing her hard. Samantha instantly reached up and tangled her fingers through Giles's thick hair, her nails digging slightly into his scalp as his tongue darted out and began an intimate dance with hers. Giles broke the kiss, his hands beginning to lightly trace the curves of Samantha's body. 

"You... are so beautiful," Giles murmured into her ear, provoking a soft gasp from Samantha. He moved down and began to place soft kisses down her neck, nipping playfully at a rather sensitive spot. Samantha finally let out a moan, causing heat to spread through all of Giles's body. 

"And you... are so... hot..." Samantha panted out, pulling Giles back up to kiss him again, biting gently on his lower lip. 

"Sam..." Giles growled, his hands itching to travel under her dress and caress the bare skin underneath. 

"God, I love it when you call me that," Samantha gasped out, sliding her hands to the front of his shirt. She began to undo the buttons, feeling Giles tense slightly under her touch. 

"Sam... it's... it's the first date... we shouldn't..." Giles groaned, his common sense very much at war with his increasing arousal. Samantha stilled her hands and clutched onto the material of his half-open shirt tightly, the conflict evident in her eyes as well. 

"I... I know Rupert... just... just keep kissing me..." Samantha managed to say. Giles obliged, this time kissing her slowly and sensually as he allowed his hands to continue wandering over her dress. The pair began to lose themselves in each other again, the kisses growing more and more heated, before a loud knock on the door jarred them back into reality. 

"We'll leave it. Whoever it is can bugger off," Giles muttered, getting a grin from Samantha before he continued on with kissing her. There was another knock on the door, this time louder and more frantic.

"Are you sure...?" Samantha started to ask, lifting her head to turn towards the door, but Giles gently pulled her face back towards him, kissing her deeply as she wound her arms back around him. 

"Giles? You there?" Buffy's voice called out, immediately causing Giles and Samantha to break apart. 

"Oh bloody hell," Giles cursed, causing Samantha to giggle slightly. The Watcher reluctantly leaned back and scooted away from Samantha on the couch, taking a moment to catch his breath. He let out a frustrated sigh as Samantha straightened herself out, and gave a halfhearted attempt to smooth out his own hair before stalking over to the door, whipping it open forcefully. His irritation subsided when he saw the whole Scooby gang standing there, worry on their faces. 

"Giles, I am so so sorry to interrupt your date. But we've got a serious problem," Buffy said, looking up at her mentor apologetically. Giles's expression immediately morphed into one of concern, and he ushered the kids inside. Samantha was standing by the couch, her eyebrows furrowing when she noticed Giles's expression.

"What's wrong?" Samantha asked, glancing over at Giles. The whole Scooby gang, with the exception of Buffy, had stopped for a moment to exchange grins when they saw Samantha in Giles's apartment, glancing back and forth between the two adults excitedly.

"Shape shifters... definitely of the demon variety. They've been attacking students at parties and have decided to branch out to the local bars. I think... I think they're working for someone... someone powerful," Buffy jumped in, returning everyone's attention to the matter at hand. Giles adopted a troubled look before shaking his head with a sigh, heading over to the bookshelf to pull out some resource material.

"Alright. Buffy, go get the weapons. Cordelia and Xander, start going through these texts and mark the sections you see regarding shapeshifters. Willow, I'm going to help you with a revealing spell. Let's get these demons under control first before we determine if there's anyone else behind this," Giles ordered, grabbing his glasses and shoving them back onto his face, watching as the teenagers momentarily scattered.

"I'm really sorry Giles," Buffy said, fixing Samantha with a guilty look as well before heading off to collect weapons. Giles sighed and walked over to Samantha, a defeated and apologetic look on his face.

"Samantha, I'm so sorry. But, this is..." Giles started, before Samantha placed a reassuring hand on his arm.

"Rupert, I know. It's not your fault," Samantha replied, getting a soft smile from Giles in return. 

"Is it alright if we take a raincheck? I don't want to cut this short, but..." Giles began again, trailing off as Samantha just grinned at him.

"Who says it has to be cut short? It's just turned into a research date! We'll have plenty more opportunities to enjoy a more... relaxed setting another time," Samantha said, gazing up at Giles earnestly. The Englishman felt his heart threaten to burst as he welled up with an immense love for the woman in front of him.

"You are an incredible woman Samantha Doolittle," Giles said, pulling her into his arms before kissing her gently.

"Hey! You two! Less kissing, more working!" Buffy called out, causing the adults to break apart and redden with embarrassment.

"Right... um, why don't you see if you can find anything on demon bonding rituals in these books here," Giles said, clearing his throat and pointing to the stack on his desk.

"Yes sir," Samantha teased, saluting him mockingly. Giles rolled his eyes and grinned as Samantha grabbed the books from his desk and headed over to the couch, propping her feet up on the coffee table. Giles grabbed a couple of books himself and headed over to the armchair across from Samantha. He took a moment to look across the room, with everyone enveloped in their tasks, and his gaze lingered on the woman he loved, right in the midst of it all. Samantha looked up for a moment and noticed the small smile on Giles's face. She winked at him and shot him a matching smile, before returning her attention to the text in front of him.

"Best first date I've ever had," Giles thought to himself, chuckling silently, before finally opening the book in his lap and starting to read.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it! Just wanted to give them a cute little first date piece. The next chapter will be up soon, and will feature some mature content, because Rupert Giles is an extremely attractive man. Again, this story is a bit short on the plot, and more focused on the Giles and Sam fluff. Hope you guys enjoyed!


	4. A Little Bit of Ripper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Here's chapter 4! This is going to take place after the events of the "Band Candy" episode in season 3. For those of you who haven't seen the episode, basically all the adults in Sunnydale eat chocolate bars produced by Giles's frenemy Ethan Rayne that make them behave like their teenage selves again. Giles's teenage self was a bad boy, reckless, dark magic user nicknamed Ripper... who happens to be extremely hot. This chapter will contain mature content, because Giles and Sam need some love. The premise of "Band Candy" will be referenced, but doesn't really have too much bearing on the overall plot of the chapter. Happy reading!   
> -OBG98

"Rupert Giles... will you just answer the goddamn phone?!" Samantha yelled, clutching her phone tightly in her hand as she reached Giles's answering machine for the sixth time. Swearing, she slammed the phone down on the receiver and stormed over to her couch, placing her head in her hands as tears sprang to her eyes.

"It had all been going so well..." Samantha thought sadly, reaching out to clutch a couch cushion to her chest for comfort. Her and Giles had been officially dating for over a month, and it could not have been going any better. Their relationship seemed to progress from strength to strength, the two of them spending practically every minute together at work, with the Scooby gang, or alone. Samantha had never been with a man who made her so happy, or who seemed to complete her in the way that Giles did. The two of them opened up to each other in ways they couldn't with other people. Samantha had told Giles all about her family struggles and her battles with mental health. Giles, in turn, opened up to her about his rebellious youth and stints with dark magic, knowing that he'd find no judgement within his girlfriend. 

They were truly partners in every sense of the word, and while it might have seemed to the outside world like they were moving rather quickly, they both knew they were exactly where they needed to be in their relationship. The only thing they had been taking slow was the physical aspect of their relationship, the both of them still too scared to take that final leap into the next level. They both were hesitant to cross that bridge, each of them worried that the other wasn't ready or looking for the commitment that would entail. But, despite that, Samantha and Giles's relationship had been rock solid.

"Until 48 hours ago..." Samantha muttered darkly, furiously wiping away the tears pouring from her eyes. The past month had been perfect, and all it took was one evening to thrust everything into a state of unknown. The adults in Sunnydale had all partaken in chocolate bars used as a fundraiser for the school band. Little did they know, the chocolate bars had been magically tampered with by Ethan Rayne... one of Giles's old friends from his dark magic days. The candy had reverted all the adults to their teenage selves once again, and everything quickly dissolved into chaos.

"It had to be the teenage years too..." Samantha grumbled, looking around for a tissue. She had been painfully awkward back then, her intelligence and enthusiasm for learning doing little to endear her to the popular crowd. She had been shy, anxious, timid, and submissive as a teen, lacking any resemblance of confidence or self-esteem. Not to mention that she went running the opposite direction if any guy attempted to approach her. So, it was in this distressed mental state that she found herself wandering down the street, heading to the Sunnydale library in an attempt to seek some comfort.

"God damn it!" Samantha exclaimed, closing her eyes tightly as she saw the events of the night before last play out in her mind.

* * *

_Samantha was walking to the library, books clutched tightly to her chest. She was passing the grocery store when deep voice called out behind her._

_"Well, hello there," the voice drawled out, causing Samantha to whip around. An incredibly good looking man was standing behind her, a devilish smirk on his face as he approached. He was wearing a white undershirt, a pair of ripped jeans, and had a silver earring protruding from his right ear. Samantha heard the British accent, and was startled to discover that the man was Giles._

_"Ru...Rupert?" She stammered nervously, fighting the urge to run away screaming as he came towards her._

_"Come on love... the name's Ripper. Now, how about a kiss?" Giles drawled, his gaze rather predatory as he stared Samantha down. The woman shrank under his gaze, stiffening as Giles grabbed her and pulled her into a rough kiss. She pulled away from him when he attempted to shove his hand up her shirt, her eyes filling with slight panic as he held onto her arm tightly._

_"Easy love... I'm not going to bite... yet. Now come on, we've got a party to go to," Ripper demanded, pulling her behind him._

_"I... I don't want to go. I don't enjoy parties," Samantha protested, causing Ripper to glance back at her in surprise._

_"You'll like this one. Now come on!" Ripper said earnestly, winking at Samantha. She allowed herself to be pulled to Giles's apartment, where a party was in full swing. Everyone was drinking, dancing, and carousing, and Samantha felt the anxiety bubble up in her chest as her and Ripper weaved their way through crowds of people. Samantha flattened herself against the wall, her face flushing as Ripper looked her up and down._

_"What are you...?" Samantha asked, before being cut off by Ripper slowly pressing his lips to hers. She subconsciously wound her hands through his hair, heat coursing through her as Ripper began to place open mouthed kisses down her neck. Normally, a teenage Samantha would have been terrified, but there was something about Ripper that compelled her to stay in his embrace, something about him that had her yearning for more._

_"You like that love?" Ripper murmured, cupping Samantha's ass tightly and pulling her flush against him. Samantha let out a small gasp as he continued to suck at the base of her neck, her knees going weak beneath her._

_"Ri...Ripper..." Samantha breathed, moaning as Giles slowly ground up against her._

_"What do you say we put on a show love? Why don't I just fuck you right here and now," Ripper hissed, fiddling with the button on Samantha's jeans. His green eyes bore into her, and Samantha found herself completely transfixed by the fiery confidence and smoldering lust in Ripper's gaze. She was both scared out of her mind and hopelessly turned on by the raw sexuality oozing from the man pinning her up against the wall._

_"W...Wait..." Samantha stammered, her head finally winning out. She placed her hands on Ripper's chest and pushed him back lightly. Ripper resisted, slipping his hand down Samantha's jeans and pressing a finger against her underwear. Samantha moaned loudly, knowing that he could feel she was already wet. Ripper looked up at her and winked, before reaching for his belt and beginning to undo his own jeans. Samantha's eyes widened and for a moment she was tempted to let it all continue, but common sense took over and she grabbed his hands and pushed them away from his belt, shaking her head firmly._

_"You're no fun," Ripper quipped dryly, stepping back and nonchalantly pulling a cigarette out of his pocket._

_"Can I borrow your light?" A woman called out, sauntering over to Ripper and placing a hand on his chest. Ripper smirked at the woman and pulled her tightly into his embrace, sweeping her in a passionate kiss. Samantha stood there in shock, every nerve ending in her body screaming for her to move and get that woman off of her boyfriend. Tears began to fill her eyes as she watched, knowing that she wouldn't ever be enough for someone like him. That she was too quiet, too proper, too scared to show her desire for him. It only made sense that he was bored of her, that he needed another woman to fulfill his needs, not some nerdy, socially awkward teenage girl...._

_"Giles! What the hell are you doing to my mother? And why are you doing it in front of Samantha?" A voice yelled, before Buffy suddenly appeared and yanked the man away from Joyce Summers. Giles stepped back and wiped his mouth, oblivious to the glaring Buffy._

_"Sorry sweetheart, just trying to make m_ y _bird jealous. Always good to keep 'em on their toes," Giles replied, winking over at Samantha with a cocky smile. Buffy shot an incredulous look at him, before turning to scold her mother, who was drinking tequila straight from the bottle._

_"Sorry love, I just wanted to see if I could rile you up. I'll make it up to you later..." Ripper whispered into Samantha's ear, smacking her firmly on the ass. Buffy shot Samantha an apologetic look before dragging Giles and her mother away, leaving Samantha alone, hurt, confused, and slightly aroused as she stood against the wall of Giles's crowded apartment._

* * *

"If I ever meet Ethan Rayne, I'm going to kill him myself," Samantha growled, opening her eyes and returning to the present. But her heart wasn't quite in the threat as she sat staring at the wall in front of her. While she had no desire to ever experience anything like that again, Samantha shivered remembering the way that Ripper had looked at her, the way that he had touched her, the sound of his voice as he whispered into her ear. Though she was hurt that Giles had kissed Joyce, she knew that, even as Ripper, it wouldn't have gone any further than that. He truly was trying to provoke a reaction from Samantha, to push her buttons and make her tick. She had seen the depth of true desire reflected in Giles's eyes, and all she wanted was for him to look at her like that not as Ripper, but as Rupert.

"If he ever decides to speak to me again," Samantha muttered, turning her head to glance back at her phone. When she had woken up the next morning, everything had returned to normal. She had instantly rushed to her phone, only to find a voicemail on the answering machine from Giles.

* * *

"Samantha... I... I'm so sorry. I know that you never want to... to see me again... and I don't blame you. I behaved... abominably... and it breaks my heart to know that I... that... I have to go. I'm so sorry Samantha," the voicemail said, ending with a definitive click. Samantha had burst into tears at the sound of Giles's voice, so ashamed and full of pain. She rushed down to the school, attempting to open the library doors but finding them locked.

"Rupert! Rupert open the door!" Samantha had called out, banging on the library doors loudly. It was still early, but a few students were wandering down the hallway. Samantha couldn't have been bothered to care about the confused looks on their faces, and had kept pounding on the door as hard as she could.

"Samantha... please.... I need you to leave..." Giles's voice had finally called out from behind the door. He sounded utterly broken, and Samantha felt her heart shatter as she leaned against the door.

"Rupert, we need to talk about this. None of it was your fault, it was the candy, you couldn't..." Samantha started, before a loud bang on the other end of the door sent her jumping back in alarm.

"Do not make excuses for me! What I did was inexcusable! I can't... I can't face you again, not right now," Giles shouted angrily. Samantha had heard him storm away behind the door, and she had to stifle a sob as she forced herself away from the door. He made it a point to avoid her for the rest of day, and Samantha had called him five times that night with no answer.

She lay in awake in bed all night and through the most of the next day, trying to finally call him again only to go straight to his voicemail.

* * *

"Stupid, stupid man!" Samantha yelled angrily, tears falling once again as she threw a pillow at the wall. She was furious that he couldn't see how much this was hurting her, how completely abandoned she felt by the man she loved. A knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts, and she quickly wiped the tears away, attempting to compose herself. Samantha swung the door open, freezing in surprise when she saw Giles standing there, his expression somber and remorseful. The two of them stared at each other for a moment, neither one of them sure what to say.

"May... may I come in?" Giles croaked out. Samantha nodded dazedly and stepped aside, allowing Giles into her apartment. He stood awkwardly by the door, fiddling nervously with the signet ring on his finger.

"So, have you finally decided to stop acting like a child and come talk to me?" Samantha asked bitterly, causing Giles to wince.

"Samantha... I..." Giles started, but Samantha cut him off, jabbing a finger into his chest.

"No! You listen to me Rupert Giles! All I've wanted to do is talk to you, to work this out! You never even gave me a chance to tell you how I felt, how I'm feeling... you just shut me out. You automatically assumed how I would react, and were too much of a coward to face me yourself. I've been sitting here, worried sick for the last 24 hours, and you've been ignoring my calls, avoiding me at school... what the hell is wrong with you?!" Samantha shouted, tears in her eyes as she glared at the man in front of her.

"Samantha, I'm so sorry. I've been acting like a complete prat..." Giles stammered, but Samantha ignored him, her face red with hurt and fury.

"Sorry doesn't cut it Rupert! You think I don't know it was the influence of the candy? After all we've been through, you think I wouldn't understand that? We were different people as teenagers, the both of us! So you felt me up at a party and kissed someone else to make me jealous...big whoop! Instead of talking about it like the adults we are, you choose to walk out on me! Do you realize that this has hurt me so much more than anything you did as Ripper?" Samantha screamed, the tears flowing freely down her face.

"What was I supposed to say? I was disgusted with myself, I didn't know what to do!" Giles yelled back in frustration, throwing his hands up into the air.

"Oh I don't know... maybe actually attempt to TALK to me instead of automatically discarding everything that we had together?!" Samantha retorted, causing Giles to turn around and glower at her.

"I TRIED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU SAMANTHA! I TRIED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE WOMAN THAT I... THAT I CARE FOR IMMENSELY! And THEN I callously kissed someone else just to make you jealous, just to play with your feelings. I couldn't forgive myself, so how could I POSSIBLY imagine that YOU would forgive ME?!" Giles yelled, his eyes flashing with anger and pain as he began to pace across the room.

"DON'T YOU TURN THIS ON ME, YOU WILL NOT PLAY THE MARTYR IN THIS SITUATION," Samantha yelled, stopping her tirade breathlessly after a moment in an attempt to calm down. The Watcher's face reddened, and the room fell into a painful silence. Giles turned away again, and for a moment, Samantha was terrified he was going to leave, to allow his guilt to consume any thoughts he may have had about a reconciliation. But, Giles let out a long sigh and turned back to face her, tears forming in his dulled green eyes.

"I... I'm not trying to be a... I know that it wasn't really me who was... treating you so horribly. But, it was me. It was Ripper... who used to be me, who is always a part of me. It... it terrifies me to know that any part of me, no matter how dormant, could treat someone I have strong feelings for in that manner. I didn't... you deserve so much more than that. I was being a coward, and I'm so sorry that I shut you out... but I... I just didn't want to hurt you anymore," Giles whispered, his voice shaking. Samantha stared at him for a long moment, before tentatively making her way across the room and taking his hand. Giles flinched but did not pull away, finding the courage to look up at her.

"You could have taken advantage of me, but you didn't. You could have written me off and had your way with Joyce, but you didn't. Even as Ripper, you couldn't find it in yourself to truly hurt me. That's because you would never hurt me Rupert, not like that. My teenage self would have run straight for the hills if a guy even tried to kiss me with a bit of tongue. But I stood there, considering letting you take me in front of a room full of people, because deep down I knew that I was safe with you. I knew you had too much respect for me to do that. You need to know that I trust you Rupert, with all of my being," Samantha said earnestly, tears trailing down her cheeks as Giles looked at her incredulously.

"You... you do? Still? Even after I..." Giles stammered, at a complete loss for words. Samantha chuckled and rolled her eyes, sniffling slightly.

"Of course I do, you infuriating man!" Samantha exclaimed, shoving his shoulder lightly. Giles broke into a beaming smile and wrapped Samantha up in his arms, burying his face in her hair as he held her tightly.

"I'm sorry I've been acting like an utter fool. I was so appalled at my own behavior and so ashamed that I didn't even bother to consider that your feelings were any different than mine. Can you forgive me?" Giles mumbled, pulling back to wipe away a tear on Samantha's cheek.

"Yes, but only if you promise not to shut me out like that again. A relationship requires communication Rupert, you can't push me away every time we have a problem," Samantha said seriously, getting a nod from Giles.

"I promise," Giles replied, kissing Samantha's forehead chastely. He quickly took off his glasses and wiped away a tear with a shaky chuckle. Samantha smiled and led them over to the couch, resting her head against his chest as he pulled her into his arms. Samantha reached out and took Giles's free hand as he began to stroke her hair soothingly, intertwining their fingers. She felt Giles take an unsteady breath and squeezed his hand.

"You okay?" Samantha asked, concern evident in her voice. Giles swallowed hard and shook his head, obviously trying to keep his emotions at bay.

"I'm just... so horrified that... THAT could have been our... our first time together. I've been imagining it for so long, and to have it happen in that way would have been..." Giles trailed off, his expression growing rather haunted.

"You've been imagining it huh?" Samantha replied, unable to keep the small smirk off her face as she turned around to look up at him.

"I... well... I mean.... yes..." Giles admitted, blushing furiously as Samantha raised an eyebrow at him.

"When are you going to stop just imagining it? Samantha said seductively, causing Giles's jaw to drop momentarily.

"I... er... I'm... I just... I'm worried that I won't be able to... that I'm not..." Giles stammered, insecurity very much present in his voice. Samantha smiled and leaned closer to him, her lips almost touching his ear.

"You know, a little bit of Ripper in that department wouldn't be such a bad thing. It's kind of a turn on," Samantha whispered, causing Giles to gulp audibly.

"Oh?" He squeaked out, attempting to control his breathing as Samantha's hand began to fiddle with the hem of his sweater.

"What can I say? I like a little bit of danger..." Samantha drawled out, her hand sliding slowly up his chest. Giles's eyes darkened and he kissed Samantha fiercely, his fingers tangling through her hair as their tongues clashed for dominance.

"That... can be arranged," Giles growled, finally breaking the kiss, his large hands wandering down to Samantha's waist.

"Stay... stay the night?" Samantha asked breathlessly.

"Are you sure?" Giles asked, hesitating slightly. Samantha reached out and placed a hand on his jaw, using her thumb to caress his cheek.

"Rupert, I WANT you. If you aren't ready yet I understand, but I..." Samantha started, before being cut off by Giles kissing her firmly.

"That's all I needed to hear. Now, which way is your room?" Giles asked, his pale green eyes burning with love and desire as he gazed down at Samantha.

"Follow me," Samantha grinned, quickly getting up off the couch and bounding up a small staircase. Giles stared after her for a moment before bursting into a wide smile and following her up the stairs, locating the bedroom at the end of the hall. He paused for a minute, leaning against the doorframe as he saw Samantha sitting on the edge of her bed. Samantha glanced up at him, biting her lip when she noticed his smoldering expression. Giles sauntered over to the nightstand and took off his glasses, before standing in front of Samantha at the foot of the bed.

"Kiss me Sam," Giles demanded softly. Samantha quickly stood up and pressed her lips to his, the kiss slow and passionate. 

Wordlessly, Giles stepped back and peeled off his sweater and his undershirt, revealing his bare chest, smattered with dark chest hair. His tall and broad frame became even more visible, and his trim and fit form revealed the rather impressive abs and biceps he hid beneath his clothes. Samantha lightly placed her hand on his chest, taking a moment to feel the warm, slightly tanned skin. She heard Giles's breath hitch as she ran her fingers down his stomach, stopping right at his navel. 

Samantha took a couple of steps backward, quickly shedding her shirt and pants. She slowly unclasped her bra, letting it fall to the floor as she locked eyes with Giles. She stood there for a moment in only her underwear, blushing a little at the gobsmacked and positively reverent expression on Giles's face.

"Come here Ru..." Samantha whispered. Giles was in front of her in two quick strides, pulling her tightly to him as he kissed her hungrily. Giles groaned as Samantha scraped her nails down his back lightly, and he quickly moved his lips down to the base of her neck, sucking lightly at the soft, porcelain skin.

"God, you're stunning," Giles murmured, his breath hot against Samantha's neck as his hands wandered up to cup her breasts. He lightly rubbed his thumb against her nipples, causing Samantha to gasp. Her hands began to fiddle with Giles's belt, undoing his jeans and allowing him to step out of them and kick them across the floor, leaving the Watcher in only his boxers.

"The view isn't too bad from here either. And it certainly feels.... impressive," Samantha said, her voice low and sultry as she ran a hand down the front of Giles's boxers to feel the straining erection underneath.

"Fucking hell," Giles swore, closing his eyes tightly. With a low growl, he pushed Samantha backwards onto the bed and stood above her. Effortlessly, he placed his hands on the waistband of Samantha's underwear and pulled, the fabric ripping in half as he tore them off. Samantha stared up at him, her mouth dropping open.

"That... may have been one of the sexiest things I've ever seen," Samantha breathed, her blue eyes widening further with desire until only the pupil could be seen.

"Good to know," Giles teased, his green eyes blazing with lust and unwavering love as he loomed over her.

"I guess that's why they called you Ripper," Samantha finally quipped, receiving a husky chuckle from Giles. Samantha scooted back to lean against the headboard of the bed, with Giles quickly climbing on top of her and kissing her senseless.

"One of many reasons love," Giles drawled out, before kissing his way down to her breast and sucking firmly on the plump mound. He relished in hearing the soft noises and moans coming from Samantha, and did the best he could in his hyper-aroused state to mentally catalogue them all for later. His hand slid downbetween her thighs and he pressed his thumb down on her clit, causing Samantha to buck her hips suddenly.

"Oh God... Rupert..." Samantha moaned, her hands gripping tightly onto the bedsheets as Giles began to slowly rub his finger against the sensitive nub. He ceased his ministrations for a moment to slip two fingers into her folds, his own arousal growing as he felt how wet she wasalready. He thrust his fingers into her gently, feeling Samantha move her hips to match his movement. She let out a strangled cry as he curled his fingers inside her and hit a rather sensitive spot, her entire body on fire as her climax began to build.

"I want to taste you... is that alright?" Giles asked, his voice thick and raspy as he watched Samantha writhe under his touch.

"Oh... _fuck me..._ yes...Rupert..."Samantha sighed, her breathing growing heavy as Giles's fingers continued to move. She let out an involuntary whine as Giles finally removed his hand, causing Giles to chuckle huskily.

"All in good time love," Giles murmured, a wolfish grin on his face. His green eyes flashed, and Samantha shivered as she caught a hint of Ripper in his gaze. Giles slid down her body and placed his hands on Samantha's thighs, before lowering his head and flicking his tongue into her folds. Samantha gasped loudly and screwed her eyes shut, arching her back and winding her hands through Giles's rumpled, thick hair. Giles continued to lick between her folds before thrusting his tongue into her repeatedly, the scent and taste of Samantha driving him absolutely mad. He paused for a moment before sucking hard on her clit, feeling her fingers dig into his scalp.

"Oh God... Rupert... I'm... I'm going to..." Samantha moaned, choking back a sob as her body began to shake. Giles replied by nipping gently at her clit before sucking hard again, and Samantha's toes curled as she screamed out Giles's name, her orgasm hitting her full force. Giles lapped up her juices, catching every last drop as his ministrations led to a second orgasm for Samantha.

"You alright?" Giles whispered, moving back up Samantha's sweat slicked body to place soft kisses on her collarbone as she came back down. He did his best to ignore his own throbbing arousal as he gave Samantha a minute to recover, running a hand through her hair soothingly as he felt the rise and fall of her heaving chest.

"My turn," Samantha mumbled, still a little breathless as her head finally cleared. She pushed on Giles's shoulders firmly, switching their positions so that he laid on his back beneath her. Samantha kissed her way down Giles's throat, pausing for a moment to nip at his Adam's apple, before making her way down to his chest, causing him to sigh contentedly. She flicked her tongue against his hardened nipples, smiling against Giles's skin as she heard him emit a low groan.Sliding further down his muscled body, Samantha pulled down Giles's boxers, finally releasing his straining cock.

"Sam... you don't have to..." Giles started, before groaning loudly as Samantha placed a kiss to the tip. His head fell back against the pillows as Samantha licked her way down his shaft, before wrapping her hand around the base and stroking him gently.

"But I want to," Samantha replied wantonly, before taking Giles fully into her mouth. Giles was certain he was going to come just watching Samantha, her head bobbing up and down and her breasts bouncing as she sucked at him. Giles's hips bucked involuntarily, and he took a deep breath as he fought the urge to begin thrusting into her mouth.

"Sam... if you don't stop... I'm... I'm going to... Sam please...." Giles panted, unable to withstand anymore as Samantha swallowed him almost to the root. She released him with a slight 'pop' and rolled over onto her back, pulling Giles on top of her.

"Giles... Rupert... I... I need... I need...." Samantha gasped out, arching her back to rub up against Giles, his cock hovering just above her entrance.

"What do you need darling?" Giles growled, his eyes dark and glazed with arousal as he looked directly into her eyes.

"I need you to... make love to me... please," Samantha replied, causing Giles to smile tenderly at her choice of words. Silently, Giles lifted Samantha's hips and slid into her, the both of them moaning loudly as he stretched her tight inner walls.

"Samantha I... I lo... you're wonderful..." Giles whispered emotionally, wanting desperately to to tell her the three words that had been threatening to burst out of his mouth since the moment he met her, but stopped himself as a wave of insecurity and panic swept through him. He took a deep breath, pausing for a moment to tuck a piece of Samantha's hair behind her ear.

"I think you're wonderful too," Samantha whispered back, her blue eyes sparkling as she gazed into his pale green eyes, still dark with desire as Giles gazed down at her. Wordlessly, Giles began to move, with Samantha raising her hips as she matched each thrust. 

"You... you feel... so tight...so good..." Giles grunted, closing his eyes tightly as Samantha's walls clenched around his cock.

"Rupert... harder... faster..." Samantha gasped out, her fingernails digging into Giles's shoulder blades. The Watcher complied with her request, lifting Samantha's legs to take her deeper. Samantha let out a sob as he thrust inside her, the feeling absolutely exquisite as Giles picked up the pace.

"Oh God... Sam..." Giles mumbled, his brow furrowed with concentration and his forehead slicked with sweat as his movements began to grow a little more erratic.

"Almost... almost there... oh... oh god... Rupert... please..." Samantha moaned, growing somewhat incoherent as she felt her orgasm approaching.

"Let go love... come for me... I'm... I'm close too..." Giles groaned, thrusting into her as deep as he could. He bent his head and began to suck lightly at a sensitive point on Samantha's neck, trying hard to ensure she would climax first.

"RUPERT..." Samantha cried, her walls finally clenching around Giles. Her orgasm came with a force that surprised both of them, and Giles only had to give two quick thrusts before he finished as well, filling Samantha completely as they both rode the waves of their climaxes.

"Sam..." Giles mumbled, collapsing on top of her. Giles buried his face into the crook of her neck, murmuring something unintelligible. The room was quiet, save for their heavy breathing as they both returned to their senses.

"Rupert Edmund Giles, THAT was...unbelievable," Samantha finally said, panting a little as she attempted to regain her breath.

"Glad I have your approval," Giles retorted, his words muffled as his face remained buried against her skin. With a sigh, Giles pulled out of Samantha and rolled over onto his back, running a hand through his sweat soaked hair. Samantha immediately cuddled up next to him, resting her head on his chest.

"And to think, the kids all say you're a stuffy old fuddy duddy," Samantha joked, running her fingers through Giles's chest hair as she listened to his rapid heart beat.

"Well, THEY are not privy to this particular part of my personal life," Giles snorted, pulling Samantha a little closer as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Samantha smiled as she reached out to grab Giles's hand, intertwining their fingers. She squeezed his hand tightly before moving to get up out of bed, grinning as Giles let out a small whine of protest.

"I'll be right back," Samantha laughed, before getting up and disappearing into the bathroom. Giles glanced around with a dazed and beaming smile on his face, before locating his boxers and tugging them back on. He quick got back into bed, adjusting the covers and Samantha re-emerged from the bathroom. Samantha climbed in next to him, curling over on her side and grabbing Giles's arm, wrapping it firmly around her waist.

"Comfortable?" Giles murmured, pressing a kiss to Samantha's shoulder blade. He smiled as he felt her nod in reply, and he pulled her tighter into his embrace.

"So, was that better than merely imagining it?" Samantha asked, feeling Giles's deep chuckle rumble against her back.

"It absolutely exceeded my imagination," Giles replied, his thumb lightly stroking Samantha's abdomen.

"Good," Samantha mumbled sleepily, closing her eyes and quickly drifting off as Giles held her tightly. She let out a soft snore, causing Giles to chuckle as he pressed one last kiss to her head.

"Goodnight darling," Giles whispered tenderly, before closing his eyes and falling asleep as well, feeling warm and secure as he held the woman he loved in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for this chapter! Had to show a little love for Ripper in this story! Most chapters going forward will have mature content in them, just as a warning. The next chapter will be up soon. Hope you enjoyed!


	5. The Next Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Here's a short smut piece that takes place right after the events of last chapter. The Scooby gang will make an appearance of course, but mostly just going to focus on Giles and Sam being all loved up and getting some because, frankly, Giles is sexy. Happy reading!  
> -OBG98

Giles awoke the next morning to the sun shining brightly on his face through half-opened curtains. Blearily, he glanced around the room as he attempted to gauge his surroundings. Realizing he was in Samantha's apartment, he smiled widely as he recalled the events of the previous night. He rolled over on the bed, only to find the space next to him empty. 

Confused, Giles located his glasses on the nightstand and shoved them onto his face, looking around for any sign of his girlfriend. He vaguely became aware of soft noises coming from downstairs, and he threw on his undershirt before making his way out the door and down to the kitchen. The sight that greeted him caused Giles to instantly stop short; Samantha was moving about the kitchen, humming a tune under her breath, wearing only her underwear and Giles's sweater. The Englishman felt a swell of love as he watched her, along with a pang of desire as she traipsed about wearing his clothing.

"Now, there's a sight a man could get used to," Giles finally said, causing Samantha to whip around in slight surprise. Blushing slightly, the history teacher gestured over to the two mugs sitting on the counter, both filled with tea.

"I know that you like your tea in the morning..." Samantha started to explain, walking over to Giles and giving him a quick kiss.

"How did I get so lucky? Here I was, thinking you had run off on me, and meanwhile you're downstairs fixing my tea," Giles teased, his green eyes glimmering behind the frames of his glasses.

"Well, not sure where I would run to, considering this is my apartment. But I'm sorry if I worried you," Samantha quipped. 

"You're forgiven" Giles joked, his tone playful as pulled Samantha closer to him. Samantha smiled and wound her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly before moving over to the mugs on the kitchen counter.

"I was hoping to finish the tea while you were still in bed. I figured I would make it early so we could enjoy a lie in," Samantha said, glancing over at Giles. The Watcher came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, his lips pressing up against her ear as he pinned her to the counter.

"Excellent, because back to bed is exactly where we are headed," Giles murmured, placing a soft kiss to Samantha's neck.

"Oh?" Samantha asked, spinning around to face Giles. She blushed and raised her eyebrows as she noticed Giles's smoldering expression, his eyes raking up and down her body.

"If you think that watching you run around wearing only my sweater isn't going to compel me to drag you right back upstairs, then you're insane," Giles said wolfishly, causing Samantha to giggle.

"What is it with guys and their obsession with girlfriends wearing their clothes?" Samantha teased, running a hand through Giles's messy hair. Giles grinned back at her and shrugged, shooting her a quick wink.

"I find it VERY attractive," Giles replied, pressing up against Samantha and revealing the hardening erection underneath his boxers.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Samantha said sultrily, reaching down to cup Giles's growing bulge. Her lover growled and captured her lips in a deep kiss, the atmosphere both heated and playful. The pair finally broke apart, and Giles leaned his forehead against hers, a blissfully happy smile on his face.

"Have I mentioned that you are absolutely exquisite?" Giles asked, placing a quick kiss to the tip of Samantha's nose.

"You may have... but you could show me again just how exquisite you find me, to confirm it," Samantha replied, a seductive grin on her face as she kissed Giles again, biting down gently on his lower lip.

"Oh I wholeheartedly agree," Giles smirked, breaking away from the kiss and sweeping Samantha up into his arms, carrying her bridal style towards the foot of the stairs.

"Rupert..." Samantha giggled. She started to say something more, but was cut off by a knock on the door. The pair stared at each other for a moment, confusion on their faces.

"Were you expecting company?" Giles asked, nodding his head in the direction of the door.

"Not that I know of," Samantha replied, shaking her head. There was another knock on the door, this time louder and much more urgent. Samantha could vaguely hear some whispering coming from the other end.

"Maybe if we ignore it, they'll just disappear?" Giles suggested hopefully, causing Samantha to laugh.

"Somehow I doubt that. You should probably put me down," Samantha quipped, patting Giles on the shoulder. Her boyfriend clung to her tightly, before a loud pounding at the door caused him to sigh and release his hold on her, setting Samantha gently down on her feet.

"Why does this always seem to happen?" Giles grumbled, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He made his way over to the door, throwing it open to reveal Buffy, Xander, and Willow standing on the other side.

"I TOLD you he was here," Buffy exclaimed, glaring at her two friends. They pushed their way inside, standing in the main hallway of the apartment.

"What are you all doing here?" Giles sighed, trying hard not to sound too exasperated as he glanced at the teenagers. 

"We were worried about you Giles. You were kind of a mess the other day. You spent the whole day in the library crying, and Buffy said she came by to your place after patrol and saw you completely drunk on the couch, muttering something about 'losing the best thing to come into your life' and crap like that," Xander said, looking the Watcher in the eye.

"We came by to check on you at the apartment yesterday, but you weren't there. We thought something had happened," Willow explained, causing Giles to soften somewhat.

"For the record, I figured out where you were. These guys just didn't want to listen to me," Buffy chimed in, rolling her eyes. Buffy glanced over at her Watcher with a raised eyebrow, looking him up and down with a smirk on her face. Giles instantly became aware of his lack of proper clothing, and turned a deep shade of red as he tried hard not to let his panic show.

"Well... I'm here, and I'm perfectly alright..." Giles started, before Willow cut him off.

"So, are you and Ms. Doolittle all good now?" Willow asked eagerly, some concern still evident in her expression.

"I'll say! I'm a little disturbed but... way to go Giles!" Xander whooped, pointing over to Samantha. Buffy and Willow both looked over to see Samantha still standing by the stairs, the teens noticing that she was clad in Giles's sweater. Samantha and Giles both blushed furiously, and the librarian closed his eyes in the hope that he was just having a nightmare.

"Okay... let's not go there. It’s like walking in on your parents," Buffy complained, wrinkling her nose in slight disgust.

"Well at least he's not moping around anymore. I'm just relieved you two are still together," Willow chimed in, fixing both Giles and Samantha with a happy smile.

"Is no one else weirded out by the fact Giles wears boxers?" Xander asked. There was a small silence as Giles contemplated finding a small hole to go die in, but the Watcher quickly gathered as much composure as he could muster and cleared his throat in discomfort.

"Well, this has been sufficiently awkward. Now, if there is no impending danger or anything of significance that needs to be handled immediately, I'm going to ask that the three of you please vacate the premises," Giles said quickly, his embarrassment causing his voice to crack slightly.

"What's the big rush?" Willow asked, a teasing grin on her face.

"Well obviously Willow, they want to..." Xander started, causing both Giles and Samantha's eyes to widen with mortification.

"Alright! Alright! No need to paint the picture Xander. We're leaving now! Have a good rest of the day you two!" Buffy interjected, shooting Giles a wink as she ushered her friends out the door. Giles was right on her heels, shutting and locking the door with a resounding 'click.' The silence was deafening as Giles and Samantha stared at each other, both too embarrassed to speak. The silence was suddenly broken by Samantha bursting into laughter. After a moment, Giles couldn't help but begin laughing himself, finally recognizing the humor in the situation.

"I don't know how I'll ever look any of them in the eye ever again," Giles finally said, chuckling a little.

"Oh come on, it wasn't THAT bad..." Samantha replied, dabbing at the corners of her eyes as she finally stopped laughing.

"Speak for yourself," Giles retorted, grinning as Samantha rolled her eyes at him. The room was quiet for a moment, before Samantha made her way over to Giles and placed a hand on his cheek, her expression soft as she gazed up at him.

"Did you really think that you had lost me?" Samantha asked quietly, the mood of the room suddenly changing.

"Well... yes I did. I felt that I had ruined everything not only with my actions that night, but the way I handled the situation afterwards. I knew that I was being a coward, but I just thought... I'm not sure WHAT I thought. I just didn't think I deserved another chance," Giles admitted, wincing slightly as his green eyes filled with pain. 

"Rupert... I need you to trust that I'm not going anywhere. Hopefully over time you'll start to truly believe that. I'll never let you go without a fight," Samantha said earnestly, lightly stroking Giles's defined cheekbone with her thumb. 

"I shouldn't have given up so easily... I cannot apologize enough for that," Giles said, taking Samantha's hand from his cheek and kissing her palm fervently.

"Am I really the best thing to come into your life?" Samantha asked, her blue eyes sparkling as she smiled at Giles.

"Without a doubt. The only other person that comes close is Buffy," Giles said firmly. Samantha grinned and kissed Giles tenderly, tangling her fingers through his grey-brown hair.

"You are definitely the best thing to come into my life too Rupert Giles," Samantha said after they broke apart, playing with the soft curls on the nape of Giles's neck.

"I still can't believe it... I'm not sure what I did to deserve such good fortune," Giles murmured, placing a chaste kiss on Samantha's forehead. Giles held Samantha tightly in his embrace, content just to hold her in his arms. After a moment, Samantha took a step back to look at him, her hands moving to frame Giles's face as she leaned in to kiss him. The kiss turned heated quickly, as Samantha's tongue darted out to clash with his, feeling Giles's large hands wander slowly to her backside. Samantha began to lead Giles over to the couch, neither one of them breaking the kiss. Samantha shoved Giles playfully onto the couch, following him down onto the cushion and straddling his lap, before kissing him deeply once again.

"Let me take these," Samantha said, reaching out to grab the glasses off Giles's face. She leaned over to place them on the coffee table, laughing as Giles quickly pulled her back into his lap. She nipped at a sensitive spot near his ear, and let out a sigh as she felt Giles's hands slide up through her underwear to cup her ass, squeezing the cheeks gently.

"Should we... take this upstairs?" Giles mumbled, his breath hot in Samantha's ear as he moved his lips down to her neck. Samantha shook her head and began to slide down Giles's body, kneeling in front of him on the floor.

"First... I'm going to SHOW you that you haven't come anywhere close to losing me," Samantha teased, a glint in her eyes as she began to tug off Giles's boxers. She succeeded in dropping them to his ankles before Giles reached out and stilled her hands. Samantha looked up to see Giles's eyes wide with both desire and slight concern.

"Sam... I... I don't want you to feel... obligated... to do this. My insecurities should not be your burden. I don't want you to feel like you constantly have to prove..." Giles stammered, fighting hard to keep his arousal under control as Samantha's hands rested on his bare thighs. Samantha paused for a moment before laughing aloud, standing up to kiss Giles quickly before dropping to her knees yet again.

"You sweet, sweet man... I was only joking Rupert. I don't feel like I need to prove anything, just as you have nothing to prove to me. This all about give and take Ru... last night, you fulfilled needs for me I didn't even know I had. Right now, it's my turn to give... not because I HAVE to, but because I WANT to. Am I making myself clear?" Samantha said earnestly, her expression soft as she noticed the increasing emotion in Giles's eyes.

"Like I said before... I don't know how I got so lucky," Rupert replied, nodding in understanding.

"So... here's the plan. Right now, I'm going to suck you off. I'm going to watch you come undone in front of me, and most likely get myself off in the process just by watching you. That sound good to you?" Samantha said matter-of-factly, causing Giles to choke audibly.

"Very," Giles rasped out, his throat dry as Samantha began to stroke his straining member. She lightly fondled with his balls for a moment before pumping his shaft, causing sweat to begin beading on Giles's forehead. Wordlessly, Samantha lowered her head and took Giles's entire length in her mouth. Giles let out a long and low groan, his hands gripping so tightly to the couch cushion that his knuckles turned white.

"Oh God... Sam..." Giles groaned, the pale green disappearing completely from his eyes as his pupils dilated. He quickly tangled his fingers through Samantha's hair... her hot, wet mouth absolutely exquisite as she sucked at his aching cock. Samantha was staring at him intently, her blue eyes never wavering as she watched the pleasured and tortured expression Giles had adopted.

"You have no idea how much of a turn on you are," Samantha moaned, removing her mouth momentarily to pump his shaft, fondling his balls as Giles let out a soft cry. She licked him from base to tip, before enveloping Giles with her mouth again, her head bobbing up and down rapidly as she sucked a little harder.

_"Fuck..._ oh _fuck_ Sam..." Giles growled, shutting his eyes. He gripped tightly onto Samantha's hair and gave it a sharp tug, both that and the profanity coming from Giles's mouth causing her to moan. Samantha continued to suck and lap at him, taking in his entire length as she squeezed his balls gently. Giles moved his hands back to the couch cushion, bracing himself as he unconsciously began to thrust into Samantha's mouth.

"Sam... Sam... I'm going to... please darling... I can't..." Giles panted, trying to sound out a warning as he felt his climax beginning to build. Samantha paid him no mind and picked up the pace, her head bobbing faster as she sucked at him harder. She used her hand to pump at the lower part of his shaft, simultaneously licking and sucking at the head. With a shout, Giles was pushed over the edge and spilled into Samantha's mouth, riding out the high of his orgasm as Samantha lapped up all he had to give her. Giles watched her swallow it all and slumped against the back of the couch, his green eyes wide and his lips parted as he gasped for breath.

"Rupert..." Samantha moaned, her eyes dilating as she watched him. She reached down and pressed her thumb against her already soaked underwear, the pressure in her core becoming too much to bear. Her tongue quickly darted out to catch a drop of Giles's seed that had dribbled down the corner of her mouth, causing Giles to groan breathlessly.

"Good God Sam..." Giles gasped. Once he had recovered sufficiently, he reached down and pulled his boxers back on, and ran a hand through his sweaty hair.

"Definitely... going to have to... do that again soon..." Samantha said breathlessly. She emitted a noise between a chuckle and a moan, feeling hopelessly turned on by Giles's disheveled state. The handsome Watcher took notice of this and felt his cock twitch as he watched his lover ghosting her fingers over her underwear. Giles felt a small surge of pride when he saw how aroused she was, and quickly reached out to pull Samantha onto the couch, setting her in his lap. He kissed her firmly, and let out a slight groan as he tasted himself on her tongue.

"That was... without a doubt... the best blowjob I have ever received," Giles mumbled hotly, burying his face in the crook of Samantha's neck as he pressed kisses against the hot skin.

"A lot more where that came from..." Samantha replied cheekily, arching up against Giles's half-hard cock to provide herself some friction.

"Do you need some release darling? I must admit, it's a massive boost to my ego to see you so worked up over my own pleasure," Giles murmured, his lips close to Samantha's ear as he gently stilled her hips. He quickly grabbed Samantha by the wrists and pinned them to her sides, chuckling deeply as she let out a soft noise of protest.

"Oh God... Rupert... keep talking..." Samantha whined, trying to free her hands and return to easing her throbbing core. Giles bit down lightly on the skin at the base of Samantha's neck, relishing the little shiver she gave as he sucked at the soft flesh. He finally pulled away, content that his handiwork would leave a mark.

"So... here is MY plan. While I give myself some time to recover, I am going to make you come as many times as you can stand it. After that, we'll go back to bed, rest for a moment, and then I'm going to make love to you until the both of us are utterly spent. Does THAT sound good to you?" Giles growled, his breath hot in Samantha's ear and his expression smoldering as he mimicked Samantha's words from earlier.

"RUPERT...." Samantha gasped, his words enough to send her tumbling over the edge. Giles held her tightly as her body trembled, whispering endearments into her ear as she came down from the throes of her orgasm.

"There's one..." Giles chuckled, barely giving Samantha time to catch her breath before his lips were on hers. His hands began to wander underneath the sweater Samantha was wearing to cup her breasts, his eyes darkening a shade when he felt the already hardened nipples. He kneaded at the sensitive flesh for a few moments, smiling as Samantha moaned at his touches and arched against him.

"Keep... keep going..." Samantha murmured, already feeling another orgasm beginning to build. Giles let one hand trail down to the waistband of Samantha's underwear, and slipped his fingers in. He started to massage Samantha's clit, placing open mouthed kisses on the base of her neck as his lover let out a small cry.

"Watching you like this... it's a wonder that I'm not always hard, thinking about all the things I want to do to you... with you..." Giles growled, his lips pressed up against Samantha's ear as he began to push his fingers into her folds. Samantha began to thrust her hips, moaning as Giles's fingers slipped further into her.

"Ru... Rupert... please..." Samantha whimpered, letting out a choked sob as Giles curled his fingers inside her, hitting a spot that set off every nerve ending in Samantha's body.

"You don't have to beg me darling. I will ALWAYS give you what you want, what you need... you just need to tell me," Giles drawled. He added a third finger as he continued to thrust into Samantha's dripping folds, using his thumb to tap at her clit. He used his free hand to massage and knead at Samantha's breasts, paying extra attention to her sensitive nipples.

"Oh GOD..." Samantha screamed, the stimulation simultaneously too much and not enough. Throwing her head back, she called out Giles's name as she came again forcefully, spots dancing before her eyes as Giles continued to thrust his fingers during her climax. Her body was still trembling as she opened her eyes, letting out a soft moan as Giles removed his fingers.

"That's two..." Giles said softly, his voice low. His green eyes were smoldering as he looked at her, his gaze never wavering as he sucked Samantha's juices off of his fingers.

"Smug bastard..." Samantha managed to spit out, causing Giles to grin. He effortlessly moved Samantha from off of his lap and propped her up against the arm of the couch. Giles kneeled in between her thighs, careful not to go tumbling off the edge of the cushion.

"You DID say you wanted a bit more Ripper yesterday," Giles answered cheekily, slowly running his hands up the insides of Samantha's thighs before pulling off her underwear and tossing it to the floor.

"Shut up Giles..." Samantha groaned playfully, regaining her senses just in time to feel the tension returning to her core. Her eyes widened a little in surprise, unsure how she had anything left in her after those two mind-blowing orgasms in a row, but when it came to Giles she appeared to be insatiable.

"With pleasure. Talking doesn't quite showcase the full extent of my... oral expertise," Giles replied, winking at Samantha wolfishly. He lifted Samantha's legs and draped them over his shoulders, holding onto her upper thighs. Giles swiftly lowered his head and began to gently suck on Samantha's clit, before spreading her legs a little wider and thrusting his tongue into her folds.

"Oh fuck..." Samantha whimpered, her eyes rolling back in her head as Giles turned his attention back to her clit again, licking and sucking at the hardened nub, knowing just what to do to inflict sweet torture and set Samantha's entire body tingling. Giles lightly chuckled against her folds, and the reverberations sent another jolt of pleasure through Samantha.

"You taste exquisite..." Giles rumbled, his growing erection beginning to strain through his boxers. Samantha moaned loudly, pushing her hips up against Giles's face impatiently. The Englishman chuckled again and quickly thrust his tongue into her folds, his nose pressing against Samantha's sensitive clit.

"Ru... _oh God_... Rupert... so good... I _need...OH..."_ Samantha stammered incoherently, thrusting hard against Giles's face and pushing his tongue further into her. She had wound her legs around Giles's neck, allowing him to release his hold on her thighs and trace her curves with his fingertips. Giles had moved his hands up to knead at her breasts, his fingers tracing outlines around her hardened nipples. Giles continued to thrust his tongue into her slowly, timing it perfectly to match the movements of Samantha's thrusts. It only took a few moments for Samantha to come for a third time, practically sobbing Giles's name as her entire body convulsed with the force of her orgasm.

"That's three..." Giles groaned, lifting his head from between Samantha's thighs. His face was glistening with her juices, and he took a moment to wipe himself off with his undershirt before bending down to kiss his lover fiercely.

"Rupert... I... I need you inside me... _now_..." Samantha gasped out, arching her hips to press up against Giles's full erection. She was still riding out the high of her last orgasm, and despite being sore and spent she craved the release only their coupling could give.

"Here...?" Giles mumbled distractedly, doing his best to free himself from his boxers as Samantha ran her fingernails along his spine.

"No... against... against the wall..." Samantha breathed, her fingers tangling into Giles's thick hair. Giles stopped for a moment and raised an eyebrow at her, his expression both confused and completely aroused.

"Oh?" Giles replied, his face flushing slightly as he felt his cock twitch at the suggestion. Samantha moaned in frustration and pressed up against him pointedly, fixing him with a small glare.

"You heard me,” Samantha muttered, nibbling on Giles's ear. With a growl, Giles swept Samantha up into his arms, his eyes darkening as he carried her over to the nearest wall. Samantha kissed her lover fiercely, her legs wrapping tightly around his waist as she felt her back hit the solid surface. Wordlessly, Giles adjusted himself and slipped inside Samantha, groaning loudly as he felt her walls contract around him.

"Jesus..." Giles hissed, taking a moment to steady himself. He slowly began to move, kissing Samantha deeply as he began to thrust into her.

"Rupert... harder..." Samantha cried, her fingernails digging tightly into Giles's shoulder blades as Giles increased his pace. Samantha braced her back against the wall and arched her hips, meeting each of Giles's thrusts so that he slipped deeper into her.

"Sam... oh _Christ_... Sam..." Giles panted, unable to focus on anything other than his lovers's tight, slick heat engulfing him as he pounded into her roughly.

"Oh... Rupert... I... OH GOD... Rupert... RUPERT..." Samantha cried out, repeating his name over and over again like a mantra. She bit down hard on Giles's shoulder, pushing Giles precariously close to the edge as his movements grew erratic. With a few more firm strokes, Giles felt Samantha's walls clench tightly around him as she came, and he closed his eyes and held onto her tightly as he reached his own climax, emptying himself inside of her. The room was completely silent as they both came down from their climaxes, and Giles leaned his forehead against the wall as he attempted to regain his breath.

"That's... four..." Giles gasped, causing Samantha to snort softly as she came back down to earth. Giles pushed away from the wall, his legs trembling slightly as carried Samantha over to the couch. He set her down for a moment to put his boxers back on before picking Samantha up and carrying her to the foot of the stairs.

"That's definitely a new record..." Samantha mumbled, clinging to Giles with all the remaining strength she had left. Her entire body was thrumming, and she felt exhausted and raw in the best possible way.

"I'll just have to break it next time," Giles replied cheekily, making his way up the stairs somewhat unsteadily.

"You're insatiable..." Samantha said, slapping at his chest weakly as Giles carried her into the bedroom.

"Only with you," Giles answered, shooting Samantha a wink as he set her down gently on the bed. He quickly crawled into bed and settled himself under the covers next to Samantha, wrapping an arm tightly around her as she snuggled into his chest.

"But for real... are you secretly using magic? Because you are seriously a sex wizard," Samantha joked, causing Giles to blush and clear his throat sheepishly. After a moment, Giles glanced down at Samantha, noticing the sparkle in her blue eyes, and tenderly stroked her hair away from her face.

"I am... quite glad I worked up the courage to come over here yesterday," Giles said, smiling as Samantha reached out to take his hand, intertwining their fingers together.

"You and me both," Samantha replied gently, her eyelids growing heavy as her exhaustion caught up to her. Giles noticed and chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Get some rest darling," Giles said, pulling her closer to him.

"Only for a little... I believe there was a second part to your plan," Samantha teased sleepily, getting a grin from Giles.

"No need to rush, we have all the time in the world," Giles replied, his voice soft and full of love as he watched Samantha close her eyes. After a moment, he closed his eyes too, drifting off to sleep knowing that he had a wonderful wake up call in store as long as he woke up to Samantha right beside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all for this chapter! Like I said, Giles and Sam deserve to be all loved up. The chapters to come will have similar content, seeing as this is a fluffy story. Besides, Giles is one sexy Brit and I can't resist. The next chapter will be up soon and will feature more of the Scooby gang. At this point in the series (around season 3), Cordelia has broken up with Xander and Anya will be coming into the gang. Also, Spike will start coming into the picture a bit more too. But as previously mentioned, the plot of the series will be more of a backdrop as the focus is on Giles and Sam's relationship. Hope you all enjoyed!


	6. The Art of Distraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Here's the next chapter! Just as a little timeline, it's January of 1999. Giles and Sam have been in a relationship for around four months now. This chapter takes place with the season 3 episode "Helpless" as the backdrop. Basically, the plot centers around Giles preparing Buffy for the Cruciamentum, which is a test every Slayer has to go through if they reach their 18th birthday. The test forces Buffy to fight without her powers, and Giles has to secretly drain her of them to prepare. He obviously has issues doing this, and eventually let's his regard for her win out and informs her of the test and helps her pass. This costs him his job as Buffy's Watcher, which both Buffy and Giles rebel against as the series progresses. This chapter brings up Quentin Travers, who is the head Watcher of the Council. Basically, Giles is conflicted and stressed about what to do and Samantha provides him with both a much needed distraction and some helpful advice. Both a little fluff and a little smut since I can't shake the idea of having the two of them get frisky in the library. Happy reading!

"Willow, you've poured through that text a thousand times. I'm not quite sure what new information you are expecting to find," Giles sighed exasperatedly, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes in exhaustion. The entire Scooby gang and Samantha were gathered in the library, books and texts scattered everywhere around them.

"I'm just making sure I'm not missing anything. There has to be some sort of explanation for what's happening to Buffy in all these books!" Willow exclaimed. 

The gang had been pouring over texts for hours, trying to determine why Buffy seemed to have lost all her Slayer powers over the course of two weeks. Buffy had enlisted her friends for help after the most recent incident, where she had been knocked down quickly by an overly aggressive jock that was harassing Cordelia. While it hadn't been life threatening, and Cordelia had done just fine in handling the guy herself, there had also been some dangerously close calls while Buffy had been out on patrol, and everyone was concerned for her safety and well being.

"We'll figure it out Wil. Buffy will be back to kicking vampire ass in no time," Xander chimed out, glancing over at Buffy reassuringly. The Slayer was sitting at a desk, listlessly twirling a knife in between her fingers and staring off into space. The room grew silent as everyone looked over at Buffy, the concern palpable on all their faces as they stared at their somewhat despondent friend. Buffy finally caught Xander's eye and shot him a weak smile.

"Right... and hopefully nothing too sinister happens between now and then," Buffy replied quietly, the smile quickly fading into a scowl as she slammed the knife down on the table.

"Sweetie, we won't let anything happen to you. We are going to get to the bottom of this," Samantha said soothingly, prompting a grateful smile from the teenager in return. Samantha glanced over at Giles in the seat beside her, expecting him to chime in with his usual calm reassurance, but found the Watcher lost in thought, an unreadable expression on his face. She nudged her boyfriend's shoulder discreetly, causing him to startle and glance around the room.

"Um... right... of course... we should probably continue looking," Giles said quickly, very careful to not look over at Buffy. Samantha raised an eyebrow at him, but the Watcher ignored her as he picked up a text in front of him and began to read. The rest of the gang went back to researching as well, but Samantha just continued to look over at Giles with slight concern.

She knew that his love for Buffy ran deep, and that he always became overly concerned when it came to his Slayer's safety, but Giles had been acting very strange over the last two weeks. He had been distant, awkward, and uncomfortable with everyone since Buffy had lost her powers, and his investigations into the matter seemed forced and halfhearted, which was very unlike him. He wasn't eating or sleeping, and constantly wore an expression that Samantha could only describe as guilty. He also had developed a short temper, snapping at everyone and forcefully turning down any suggestions as to what could be causing Buffy's problem. 

Strangest of all, he seemed to be avoiding Buffy at all costs, making sure he was conveniently unavailable unless it was a training session. He had only reluctantly agreed to conduct this research session with everyone, and hadn't looked Buffy in the eye once since she entered the room. It was obvious that Buffy was looking to him to stay calm, and instead of providing comfort Giles was ignoring her completely.

"She's not the only one he's been ignoring..." Samantha thought to herself, feeling a little guilty for equating her problems with Buffy's but unable to help it. It had been four months since the pair began their relationship, and three months since Giles had first stayed the night at her apartment. Since then, the couple had been trading off spending nights at their respective apartments, unable and unwilling to be apart. 

It had been an incredible three months, both of them the happiest they had ever been as they navigated their lives together. There had been plenty of adventure and business to take care of at work and with the Scoobies, but the thing Samantha relished most were the quiet days they had together... cooking meals, laughing, talking, playing cards, reading, curling up to watch TV, and making love at least once a day. 

For the past two weeks, however, Samantha had barely seen Giles at all. Sure, they still spent every night together, but it certainly wasn't the same. Giles stayed at work late, and often didn't leave until well after dinner. When he did come over, or back to his apartment, he would quickly eat and then disappear into another room with a text in hand. Or, he would inexplicably leave, saying he needed some fresh air. It would be late into the night before he would crawl into bed, roll over, and fall asleep. Sometimes, he didn't even make it to bed, falling asleep on Samantha's couch or in his study. In the morning, he was up at dawn, distractedly kissing Samantha on the forehead before leaving again. To make matters worse, Giles had barely touched her in over two weeks, let alone made love to her.

"It doesn't help that I can barely keep my hands off of him," Samantha thought, her face flushing a little as she glanced back over at Giles. She was a little embarrassed with herself at the lack of self-control she had when it came to her boyfriend. After all, they weren't exactly teenagers. But that didn't change the fact that she constantly wanted him, and going two weeks without so much as a real kiss was very much getting on her nerves. Samantha had a nagging fear that maybe Giles was getting tired of the physical aspect of their relationship, and that the constant desire to rip off each other's clothes was becoming one sided on her part, but she knew deep down that this was just insecurity and confusion talking.

"But, at the same time, he still hasn't told me that he loves me yet either, so if the physical aspect of the relationship is already beginning to die... not that I've told him either, but I need him to be the one to do it," Samantha pondered grimly, before quickly pushing the unwelcome thought out of her head. Still, Samantha was confused, concerned, and sexually frustrated, all of which she needed resolved as soon as possible.

"Maybe it's some kind of curse? Buffy, have you pissed off any revenge demons or a gypsy or something like that? Wearing any jewelry that was given to you by someone suspicious?" Xander asked, jarring Samantha out of her thoughts.

"It's rare that I don't piss off supernatural beings that I encounter, but most of them don't live long enough to exact revenge. It's a no on the jewelry question too. Angel wanted to get me a new necklace for my birthday but with everything going on we decided it wasn't worth any potential risks," Buffy answered, her expression melancholy.

"I guess that rules out any cursed amulets or jewels. Unless someone else has possession of it and is using it like a voodoo type thing. Can that happen Giles?" Xander asked, causing the Watcher to look up from his book.

"Huh? Oh... um, I'm not sure. But, I don't think that is what we are dealing with anyways," Giles answered reluctantly.

"But we shouldn't write it off as a possibility right?" Willow asked.

"It isn't that... so let's not waste time with it," Giles said, his tone somewhat impatient. 

"How do you know? It seems you don't have a clue about what's going on either, and you're supposed to be the expert!" Xander snapped, glaring over at Giles. The Englishman reddened and opened his mouth to retort, but Samantha placed a hand on his arm and shot him a warning look.

"Give him a break Xander, we are all doing the best we can. I'm just glad I have you guys to help me," Buffy chimed in, quickly diffusing the situation. She glanced over at Giles, but her Watcher merely looked down at the desk, refusing to look at her.

"Of course we're going to help! That's what friends are for!" Willow said cheerfully, causing Giles to quietly clear his throat in discomfort. 

"Well, we aren't getting anywhere right now. I say we call it a night and return to this tomorrow," Giles said, slamming the book in front of him shut.

"But there are still a lot more books we can look at!" Xander said, a little confused at Giles's abruptness.

"Yeah, we haven't really made any progress," Willow added.

"I don't mind staying longer," Samantha said, causing Giles to flinch and glance at her pleadingly.

"We are all exhausted and have been at this for hours. We need to rest and approach this with a fresh attitude and clear head. This will all be here in the morning," Giles said firmly.

"What if something happens to Buffy?" Willow asked, a little fear in her eyes as she looked over at her friend.

"Nothing will happen to Buffy because she is going straight home. Until we have this more under control, I think it is unwise to have her out on patrol. She will go home, lay low, and stay out of trouble. Nothing will change between now and tomorrow," Giles replied, fiddling absentmindedly with his signet ring.

"I'm right here ya' know, you don't have to refer to me in the third person," Buffy shot back, glaring over at Giles.

"Everyone, go home. Buffy, be ready for training tomorrow. We will resume this in the morning. That is final," Giles said, paying no attention to her. The teenagers all stared at Giles for a moment before turning to Samantha.

"It's probably a good idea to go and get some rest, take your mind off it for a little while. We're going to get to the bottom of this," Samantha said, giving all of them a reassuring smile. Grumbling, the teenagers all packed up their things and filed out of library. Buffy paused at the door for a minute and fixed Giles with a long look, before glancing at Samantha.

"Take care of him?" Buffy asked, pointing in the Watcher's direction. Giles stiffened but said nothing, and reached out to pull another book from the pile. Samantha smiled and nodded, causing relief to spread across Buffy's features before the teenager walked out the door. The room descended into silence, and Samantha turned to face Giles, who was fixedly staring at the book in front of him.

"Rupert? It's going to be fine... we're going to figure out what's wrong with Buffy," Samantha said gently. 

"I know that," Giles said, waving a hand dismissively as he pretended to keep reading. Samantha sighed and glanced down at her watch, seeing that it was already 6 o'clock.

"What do you say we get out of here? Maybe go out for dinner? We can go to that Italian place that you're weirdly obsessed with, even though I think it's average," Samantha teased. Giles managed to look up from the book and give her a tired smile, but quickly shook his head.

"I'm sorry darling, I think I'm going to stay here a while longer. You go ahead, I'll see you tonight," Giles answered, looking slightly apologetic.

"Babe, you should really take your own advice, this isn't going anywhere. You're exhausted, you've barely eaten, these past two weeks have taken a real toll on you. I think you could use a break," Samantha said gently. She saw guilt and defeat flash through Giles's green eyes, and reached out to take his hand.

"I can't... not tonight. Hopefully this will all be over soon. I don't want to keep you though," Giles sighed, squeezing her hand tightly before releasing it. Samantha sighed too before standing up and heading towards the door.

"Well, if you're staying then I'm staying here too. I'm just going to change real quick, I'll be right back," Samantha said, reaching for the handle.

"Don't stay here on my account," Giles replied, only half listening.

"It's the only time I've been able to spend with you alone in two weeks, so I'm taking what I can get," Samantha shot back, a little frustration in her tone. Giles didn't reply, already sucked back into the text he was reading. Samantha rolled her eyes and walked out of the library, quickly walking out to her car and changing into the tightly fitted, short black dress that she had brought with her.

"If this doesn't distract him, then it's worse than we all thought," Samantha grumbled to herself, locking the car and making her way back into the school building. When she reached the library, she heard raised voices coming from behind the door. Pausing, Samantha kept her hand on the door handle and listened closely. She recognized Giles's voice, but didn't recognize the voice of the other man he was speaking to.

"Frankly, I don't like this at all. Slayer or not, she's a teenager for God's sakes! This test is antiquated, cruel, and unnecessarily dangerous!" Giles exclaimed loudly.

"Now Rupert, you of all people should know the importance of the Cruciamentum. Buffy must face many dangers as the Slayer, and you also know she will never be a mere teenager. This is going to prepare her for the road ahead," the voice answered calmly. There was something domineering and cold in the man's tone, and Samantha felt herself bristle as she continued to listen through the door.

"But why the secrecy? I can't stand doing this to her Quentin. You are asking me to sit by and watch her suffer, watch her question why her abilities have suddenly abandoned her, betray her trust..." Giles continued, his tone growing more agitated.

"That is precisely what a Watcher is supposed to do Rupert. You cannot shield her, she must learn to protect herself. It will serve you well to remember that you are not her father, you are not her protector, you are not her friend... you are her Watcher. If you cannot do this, then we will find someone who can," the man said, his threat hanging in the air. 

Samantha was aware of footsteps heading towards the door, and she quickly stepped away and walked down the hallway, staying just out of sight. The door opened, and Samantha saw an older man in a tan suit step out of the library and walk down the hall in the opposite direction. Samantha took a moment to ensure he was gone, before making her way over to the library door and stepping inside, locking it quickly behind her. She watched from the door as Giles took off his glasses and placed his head in his hands, his exhaustion clear through his body language. Samantha quickly made the decision to discuss what she had just overheard with him later, and focus on providing her boyfriend with the distraction that he clearly needed.

"Fancy seeing you here," Samantha called out, her tone teasing as she peeled herself away from the door.

"You changed quickly," Giles mumbled, his head still in his hands as he rubbed his eyes blearily.

"Ru..." Samantha said softly, walking over to the desk slowly before stopping about halfway. Giles looked up for a moment before putting his glasses back on and glancing down at the book on the desk. He very quickly did a double take, his eyes widening and locking on Samantha as he registered what she was wearing. His jaw dropped slightly, and he dazedly rose from the desk as his tired eyes took in his lover's curves that were just barely covered by the dress.

"Sam? Wh... what are you...? Why...? Wh... what are you doing?" Giles stammered, his face flushing as heat began to course through his body. Samantha grinned at the flustered Englishman and sauntered over to him, standing an arm's length apart as she reached out and lightly stroked the end of Giles's tie.

"I'm distracting you," Samantha said simply, fighting her urge to rip off Giles's jacket and kiss him until neither one of them could breathe.

"It's working..." Giles muttered, his gaze resting firmly on the outline of Samantha's cleavage that was tantalizingly close to being revealed.

"Finally allows me to act out on one of my fantasies... what one does with a sexy British librarian in an empty library," Samantha said sultrily, pulling Giles by the tie and leading him to the book cage. She yanked him inside and shut the door, before running her hands slowly down the lapels of his blazer and tugging him closer to her.

"S...Sam..." Giles gulped, his hands resting on her waist as his eyes darkened a little with desire. Samantha began to loosen his tie, tossing it carelessly to the ground, grinning as she took in his glazed expression.

"Has anyone ever told you how gorgeous your eyes are?" Samantha asked, leaning closer to whisper in Giles's ear. She gently began to nibble on his earlobe, prompting Giles to emit a low groan.

"Sam... someone could walk in here..." Giles said, breathing deeply to maintain his self control.

"I locked the door. No one is getting in here. Besides, the school is empty... even the janitors have gone home," Samantha replied, unbuttoning the top button of Giles's light blue shirt.

"We... we're in a public place... we really shouldn't..." Giles protested, his breath hitching as Samantha moved down to the next button.

"We've both thought about this, and right now is the perfect opportunity. But if it really makes you uncomfortable then let's split and go to my apartment, it's closer," Samantha said seductively.

"I... I can't... I can't leave yet...I still have to..." Giles said, taking a step backward and gripping tightly to the cold wire of the book cage. Samantha reached down and cupped the growing bulge that was evident beneath his slacks, and Giles stifled another groan as he closed his eyes tightly.

"I'm not sure your body agrees with that statement," Samantha teased, moving her hands back up to unbutton his shirt. Giles's eyes snapped open and he reached out to still Samantha's hands, hesitation clearly written on his face.

"Darling... I can't. I'm sorry, but I'm exhausted and I have so much work left to do and..." Giles said, before Samantha freed herself from his grip and pressed herself up forcefully against him.

"I need you so bad... please fuck me Rupert," Samantha whined. Giles's eyes widened and he pulled himself away, his expression a little shocked.

"Sam? What has gotten into you? Darling, we are in a high school library..." Giles said softly. Samantha instantly stopped what she was doing and sighed, stepping away from Giles as her embarrassment began to show.

"I did say we could go to my apartment..." Samantha said weakly, before shaking her head and turning away from Giles, quickly walking away and out of the book cage. Tears of disappointment, embarrassment, and frustration began to prick at her eyes, and she began to gather her things in an attempt to make a dignified escape.

"Oh Sam, please don't be angry. I'm sorry..." Giles said, quickly walking up behind her and trying to pull her into an embrace. Samantha pushed him away and moved to the other side of the desk, wiping away her tears.

"I'm not angry Rupert, I'm just... it's obvious you don't have the time or the interest right now, so I'm going to go and just stay out of your way," Samantha said tersely. Giles noticed the tears in her eyes, and a pang of guilt shot through him as he realized just how much he had upset her.

"Stay out of my...? Sam, what brought all this on?" Giles asked, slowly making his way around the desk in order to reach her.

"Like I said, I thought you could do with a distraction. Selfishly, I guess I wanted to make sure you were still interested, seeing as you've barely touched me in two weeks," Samantha blurted out, instantly flinching when she realized how ridiculous she sounded. Giles paused for a moment, before striding around the desk in a flash and wrapping Samantha up in his arms.

"I know I've been an utter trial these last two weeks. I've been so wrapped up in my own head that I didn't even realize... I'm so sorry love. I've been neglecting the children, I've been neglecting Buffy, and I've been neglecting you," Giles said, his voice slightly muffled as he buried his face into Samantha's hair.

"Rupert, there's a lot going on. I'm being silly, we're all worried about Buffy and she should absolutely be the main priority. I'm sorry I let my... frustration... get the better of me," Samantha finally said, resting her head on Giles's chest.

"Frustration?" Giles asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion as he pulled back to look at her. Samantha instantly reddened and glanced down at her feet, pulling away from Giles's arms.

"I... well... God I'm no better than a teenager..." Samantha muttered. Giles reached out as if to pull her into his arms again, but stopped himself.

"Sam... you can tell me anything. What is it that's bothering you?" Giles said, his voice earnest and laced with concern. Samantha sighed and looked up at him, though she couldn't quite maintain eye contact.

"Well... I guess I'm just a little embarrassed about my behavior a minute ago. It's been four months and... I'm still in the phase where I find it really hard to... to keep my hands off of you. I know you've grown out of it and I should too because we are both adults who have jobs and responsibilities and shouldn't be acting like horny teenagers all the time... but, I guess there's something wrong with me because every time I look at you I still pretty much have to use all my self control to not rip your clothes off. And I know two weeks isn't a long time at all and we've all been a little preoccupied so..." Samantha rambled on, growing more embarrassed by the minute. She was cut off suddenly by Giles crashing his lips onto hers, his tongue darting out as he kissed her passionately. Samantha was stunned momentarily but quickly responded, winding her fingers through his wavy hair as she clung to him tightly.

"Who says I've grown out of it?" Giles said huskily, finally breaking the kiss. Samantha let out a shaky laugh and shook her head, her arms winding around Giles's shoulders. 

"Well, you seemed pretty appalled by me practically pouncing on you a few minutes ago... which you had every right to be," Samantha replied, causing Giles to give her a sheepish look.

"I was taken by surprise, and reacted VERY poorly a few minutes ago. A beautiful woman walks in with the intention of seducing me in my library, and all I can do is blabber on about propriety. Why you insist on carrying on with a repressed, idiotic Brit I'll never understand," Giles answered, his tone half teasing as he grinned down at her. Samantha laughed and kissed his cheek, her heart swelling when she saw the playful sparkle return to Giles's green eyes for the first time in two weeks.

"I'm sorry for acting so childish and insecure," Samantha said.

"You weren't, it was my fault. I'm sorry for being an absentminded and selfish prat. I owe the children an apology as well," Giles said with a smile, causing Samantha to snuggle further into his chest. The pair stood in an embrace for a few moments, before Giles cocked an eyebrow and pulled back to look Samantha in the eye.

"What?" Samantha asked, smirking a little as she noticed Giles's face flush.

"Is the... uh... is the offer for a distraction still on the table?" Giles replied, doing his best to sound nonchalant as he nodded in the direction of the book cage.

"I thought you had reservations about this being a public place?" Samantha responded, her eyebrows raised. Giles blushed and shrugged his shoulders, before adopting a thoughtful expression.

"Well, now that I've had time to consider it... I've found your argument to be quite... convincing," Giles teased, his eyes raking over Samantha's body hungrily.

"If you're sure... you don't have to do this just to appease me. I'm all good with waiting until we get to my apartment..." Samantha started, before Giles pulled her up against him, his hands tracing the curves of Samantha's hips through the outline of her dress.

"I won't make make it to the apartment," Giles growled, his eyes flashing with desire. His hand slid down to cup Samantha's ass as he guided her over to the book cage, shutting the door forcefully and pushing Samantha up against the wire. He kissed her fiercely, before pulling away abruptly and taking a couple of steps back, slowly removing his blazer and draping it over his shoulder.

"Rupert...what...?" Samantha gasped out, rendered immobile by his rather intense gaze. Giles grinned at her and made a show of looking her up and down.

"Just acting out the fantasy darling. Now, Ms. Doolittle, it seems we are all alone in this library, and have somehow found ourselves shut inside this book cage. There is no denying that I've been undressing you with my eyes since the moment you walked in, and I sense you are just as attracted to this, as you put it, 'sexy' British librarian. So, whatever shall we do?" Giles drawled out, removing his vest and unbuttoning his shirt as he spoke to reveal his bare chest. His voice was low and his accent thick as he shot Samantha an over the top wink. Samantha gripped at the wire of the book cage in order to steady herself, the tone of Giles's voice enough to make her want to swoon.

"Like I said before, please fuck me... Mr. Giles," Samantha breathed, causing Giles's eyes to darken further as he strode over to her.

"Oh, I plan to," Giles murmured, before pinning Samantha's wrists above her head and capturing her lips in a deep kiss. Samantha moaned as their tongues clashed together, before freeing one of her hands and running her fingers through Giles's salt and pepper chest hair.

"You're not wearing an undershirt," Samantha remarked, grinning when she heard Giles let out a small hiss as she raked a fingernail over one of his nipples.

"Forgot it this morning. Left in a rush..." Giles mumbled, his brow furrowing in concentration as he located the zipper on the back of Samantha's dress and slowly began to unzip her. Giles paused for a moment to undo his belt and take off his slacks. He started to push his unbuttoned shirt off his broad shoulders, but Samantha reached out and grabbed his hands.

"Wait...leave it on. The glasses too. That's as undressed as I want you right now," Samantha said breathlessly, biting on her lip as she examined Giles.

"Alright..." Giles nodded, placing his arms on either side of Samantha's head before leaning in to kiss her deeply. His green eyes were alight when he pulled away, and he ran a hand through his greying brown hair, causing some of the loose curls to fall onto his forehead.

"You are so unbelievably sexy... it's just not fair," Samantha murmured, running a thumb along Giles's defined cheekbone.

"When you say it, I feel it..." Giles replied, pressing soft kisses to Samantha's bare collarbone as his hands moved up to caress her breasts through the material of her dress.

"You have no idea what you do to me..." Samantha continued, her expression a little unfocused as Giles nipped at her sensitive skin.

"And you have no idea how devastatingly beautiful you are," Giles whispered, before tracing the outline of Samantha's breast with his tongue. Samantha whimpered and gripped tightly to Giles's shirt, her legs trembling underneath her.

"Rupert..." Samantha muttered, her fingers traveling down Giles's bare chest to finger at the waistband of his boxers.

_"Christ..._ Sam... as much as I want to take my time and make up for these last two weeks... I need you desperately," Giles groaned, attempting to kiss every inch of Samantha's skin that he could reach.

"How... how do you want me?" Samantha panted out, arching her body up against Giles and grinding against him.

"Whatever is the most comfortable, I wouldn't want you to..." Giles started, but Samantha pressed a finger to his lips and guided his hand down to rest firmly on her bottom.

"This is YOUR distraction Rupert... now I'll ask again, how do you want me?" Samantha interrupted with a grin. Giles growled and pulled her even tighter against him, her core brushing up against the erection straining through his boxers.

"On the floor, sprawled out and writhing beneath me. Your gorgeous legs wrapped around me as you come..." Giles mumbled, his fingers sliding underneath Samantha's bra strap that he reached through the unzipped back of her dress.

"Oh fuck... Rupert..." Samantha gasped, feeling a climax already beginning to build. Giles grinned at her wolfishly, his pale green eyes flashing.

"Although, I also have a strong desire to sweep everything off of my desk and fuck you there..." Giles said, glancing momentarily through the wires of the book cage out into the library.

"Who says we can't do both?" Samantha whispered seductively, her lips pressing against Giles's ear. Her lover's eyebrows raised as he looked back at her abruptly, a ridiculous grin slowly spreading across his face.

"Christ..." Giles mumbled, before kissing Samantha fiercely once again. Gently, Giles lowered her to the floor before kneeling in between her legs, taking a moment to wipe his glasses off on the open collar of his shirt. Samantha reached out to pull him on top of her, but he remained out of her grasp, adopting a playfully contemplative expression.

"What is it?" Samantha asked, a little impatient as the pressure in her core was becoming too much to bear.

"One last choice to make... do I want the dress on or off?" Giles asked, shooting a downright sinful wink at her. Samantha felt her face flush momentarily, but she quickly adopted a wicked grin as she managed to pull Giles down, tangling her fingers through his thick, brown hair.

"I have a confession that may help you make up your mind. You see... I'm not wearing any underwear," Samantha murmured into Giles's ear. Giles froze instantly, his eyes widening as he quickly slipped a hand underneath Samantha's dress to ensure she was telling the truth.

"Holy Mother of God," Giles spat out, his voice sounding strangled as he buried his face in the crook of Samantha's neck. Giles swiftly tugged his boxers down to his knees and slid into Samantha forcefully, causing her to emit a soft noise in surprise.

"I take it you decided to leave it on..." Samantha gasped, taking a moment to adjust herself.

"You are going to give me a coronary..." Giles muttered, before grasping at her waist and beginning to move slowly. Samantha dug her fingernails tightly into Giles's shirt, feeling the hot skin of his back through the material. She arched her hips to meet his slow thrusts, studying his face intently. His dazzling green eyes were wild and unfocused behind the frames of his glasses, his wavy brown hair was sticking up in all different directions, his already sculpted cheekbones were even more defined as he sucked in his breath, his full lips were pursed tightly... Samantha had to wonder if the man above her had ever been compared to a Greek god before.

"Rupert... yes... harder... _oh God_..." Samantha cried, winding her legs around the small of Giles's back. She felt him slip deeper within her, and she moaned aloud as Giles established a rhythm that made her toes curl. Giles lowered his head, nibbling and sucking at the base of Samantha's neck as he moved faster. Samantha clutched tightly to Giles's shirt as her vision began to swim, letting out a sob as she neared her climax.

"Sam... darling... I'm so close..." Giles groaned, his pace becoming erratic as he closed his eyes tightly.

"I... oh... RUPERT" Samantha gasped, clinging to Giles as he hit her G-spot and sent her tumbling over the edge.

"SAM..." Giles shouted, reaching his own climax as he felt her walls clench around him. Giles slumped over her as he finished, feeling her body tremble underneath him as she rode out her orgasm. They lay there in silence, breathing heavily as the both came back down to earth.

"Rupert... baby... I can't breathe," Samantha giggled breathlessly, patting her lover on the back gently as he rested his full weight against her.

"Bloody hell..." Giles mumbled softly, possessing just enough of his senses to roll off of her and onto his back. His chest was heaving as he caught his breath, and the expression on his face made Samantha giggle again as she laid her head down on his shoulder.

"You distracted yet?" Samantha teased, running her fingers through Giles's soft, damp hair.

"Distracted? I'm having trouble recalling my own name..." Giles mumbled dazedly, getting a slightly smug grin from Samantha.

"Mission accomplished. Now, as incredible as that was, we are both way too old for a cold, hard floor to be comfortable," Samantha joked, taking one more moment to cool down before getting up from the floor. She made her way over to the pile of Giles's clothing and located his slacks, picking them up and turning to face him. Giles was sitting upright, an emotional and somewhat unreadable expression on his face. Samantha handed him his slacks with a raised eyebrow, watching as he slowly stood up and pulled his boxers back on.

"Sam... I... I... I care for you so deeply. You know that, don't you?" Giles asked, clutching tightly to his slacks as he gazed at her.

"Of course I do..." Samantha replied, tamping down the slight disappointment she felt at his choice of words. She started to say more, but Giles pulled her into a searing kiss, leaving her a bit dazed when he finally pulled away and put his slacks back on.

"Words cannot begin to express how much I care for you... how much you mean to me..." Giles continued, adopting a somewhat far away expression as he began to button his shirt back up. Samantha glanced at him in some concern, and took his hands gently, guiding them to wrap around her waist.

"Now that I have you good and relaxed... will you finally tell me what's been REALLY bothering you?" Samantha asked, fixing him with a pointed look. She tried to keep her tone light, but noticed Giles flinch slightly at her question.

"I... I can't... I don't know how to..." Giles mumbled, unable to look Samantha in the eye. Samantha reached out and cupped his cheek, forcing him to look at her.

"Rupert... just like you said to me, you know you can tell me anything," Samantha said soothingly, her blue eyes earnest and full of love as she gazed at him. Giles hesitated slightly before pulling away, his shoulders hunching a little as he turned his back to her.

"Sam... I... I don't want you to think less of me. I can barely live with what I've done, what I'm DOING to someone that I... that is an integral part of my world. I'm... I'm afraid of what you'll think of me if I tell you... I don't know what I'll do if I lose you as well..." Giles continued, his voice cracking slightly.

"Does this have anything to do with the man you were talking to earlier this evening? Quentin?" Samantha asked carefully, causing Giles to spin around and look at her in surprise.

"How do you know about that?" Giles questioned, causing Samantha to blush a little under his scrutiny.

"I... I overheard you two talking in the library when I came back from changing. I was going to ask you about it later, but... you obviously weren't ready to talk about it in that moment. I thought a distraction would be the better tactic," Samantha explained, shooting Giles a small grin.

"I don't deserve you..." Giles sighed, shaking his head as he processed what she just told him.

"Stop that Rupert. You know that's not true. I hate it when you beat yourself up like this. Whatever is going on, I will NOT think less of you, nor will my feelings change. You need to remember that we are in this together. You have people who adore you, trust you, and will be there for you," Samantha said firmly, walking up to Giles and placing a hand on his chest. Giles paused for a moment before taking Samantha's hand and pressing it to his lips, swallowing hard to fight the lump growing in his throat.

"Quentin is the Head Watcher of the Council..." Giles started, causing Samantha to step away from him to give her boyfriend room to speak.

"I figured that much... and to use your vernacular, he sounds like an absolute prick," Samantha joked, causing Giles to grin momentarily.

"Quite. Unfortunately, he's still in charge, and he is here to ensure that Buffy undergoes the Cruciamentum in time for her 18th birthday," Giles replied, causing Samantha to furrow her eyebrows.

"That sounds... ominous," Samantha interjected, getting a nod from Giles.

"It is an ancient tradition that every Slayer must undergo. It is a test of raw strength, preparedness, determination, and survival. Without her knowledge, the Slayer must be drained of all her powers in preparation for the test. She will then be captured and locked in a room with a powerful vampire, where she will have to fight to the death in her defenseless state. Should she kill the vampire without her powers and emerge triumphant, she will have succeeded her rite of passage. Should she fail... well, I think you know what that would entail," Giles said quietly, the pain evident in his eyes as he gazed at Samantha.

"So Buffy's powers... all of this has an explanation? It's for this test?" Samantha asked slowly, processing all the information she had just been given.

"This rite of passage has been in place for centuries. It's antiquated, cruel, and causes unnecessary duress and fear for the Slayer and their loved ones all in the name of tradition," Giles said, a note of venom in his tone.

"And... you knew about all this?" Samantha asked, the air suddenly growing still and cold around them as Giles's expression sunk.

"It's worse than that... I am the reason she's lost her powers," Giles answered sadly, pulling a syringe out of the pocket of his slacks.

"What is...?" Samantha started, pointing to the syringe.

"It is an organic compound, designed to temporarily take away Buffy's Slayer strength. I've been ordered to inject her with this daily, which I have been doing during our training sessions. The Cruciamentum will occur on the exact day of her 18th birthday, so I am to inject her until tomorrow. If she survives the test, then her strength will return within 24-48 hours with no lasting effects," Giles explained, the shame evident in his voice as he glanced down at the syringe.

"No lasting...? You mean, other than the psychological damage already inflicted by the loss of her powers, the fear of not knowing what's going on, the worry that she might get killed in the interim, and being betrayed by someone who is closest to her?" Samantha shot back, anger evident in her voice as she glared at Giles.

"Spare me Sam, there is nothing you can say to me that I already haven't thought about myself. I am her Watcher! I swore an oath to protect her and guide her, no matter the personal cost! Now, I have to sit idly by and be complicit as she torments herself, wondering why her powers have abandoned her for no reason at all! I have to witness her fear, her hopelessness, her confusion... unable to offer any comfort or any solution to ease her burden! When I wake up in the morning and look into the mirror, I am disgusted by what I see! I've been tearing myself apart, knowing that in this moment I am as powerless as she is!" Giles shouted, tears pricking at his eyes as he angrily threw the syringe across the room.

"Rupert..." Samantha said, her voice softening as she watched him break down in front of her. She jumped as Giles slammed his fist against a shelf, sending books scattering to the floor.

"I know that I could say bollocks to the rules and tell her, ease her anxiety by letting her know what was happening... if I was a better and braver man I would do just that. But I am terrified that giving her this information would do more harm than good. They would fire me as a Watcher, and replace me with someone who would ensure the job is done. One way or another, Quentin Travers and the whole bloody Council will ensure Buffy undergoes the Cruciamentum, whether I am there or not," Giles ranted, tears pouring down his face now as he angrily began to pace back and forth.

"Rupert..." Samantha tried again, her eyes wide and tears falling down her own cheeks as she witnessed the depth of Giles's pain and anger explode to the surface.

"If she survives, she will know I betrayed her. The children will know I betrayed her. YOU will know I betrayed her. She will never forgive me for this, nor will I forgive myself. She will not trust me, she will lose all faith in me... she will see me as the man who abandoned her in her time of greatest need. I am supposed to accept this. I am supposed to be her Watcher, nothing more. I am supposed to sit there and watch her fight for her life, unable to protect her, knowing that I may have just sentenced her to a cruel death. I've already broken the cardinal rule of being a Watcher, and now I have to suffer the consequences. None of this would matter if I hadn't... if I didn't..." Giles yelled, unable to finish his thought before breaking down and sobbing. Samantha was at his side in an instant, holding him tightly as he crumbled to the floor. Samantha wiped away her own tears as she soothed him, pressing her lips to his temple as he cried. Giles slowly began to calm down, his breathing growing more even as he clutched to Samantha tightly.

"Rupert, I want you to listen to me. You haven't betrayed Buffy, the Council has. You aren't putting Buffy in danger, the Council is. You aren't insisting on upholding this stupid tradition, that is all the Council. You are doing everything in your power to protect Buffy, and you are a truer Watcher than any one of those stuffy, old idiots could ever hope to be. You're acting like your love for Buffy is a weakness, when in fact, it is your greatest strength. Anyone with eyes can see you love her, that the two of you have an unbreakable, unexplainable bond. Everything you do, every sacrifice you make... it's for her. You make it possible for her to have a SEMBLANCE of a normal, teenage life based upon the extra burdens you bear for her. Buffy knows this, and Buffy loves you Rupert. You may not be her father, but you ARE her most trusted confidant and one of her closest friends," Samantha said firmly, doing her best not to let her voice waver.

"How... how do you... know?" Giles sniffled, turning around to look at her with tears still in his eyes.

"It's obvious in the way that she treats you. The way she looks up to you, infuriates you, confides in you, trusts you implicitly, teases you, learns from you... Rupert, you say she's defenseless without her powers. That simply isn't true. Buffy has her intelligence, her fighting spirit, her determination, and most importantly, she has everything you've ever taught her in her arsenal. Every bit of wisdom, courage, hope, resourcefulness, and love you have given her is at her disposal. Even without her powers, my money is on Buffy every time. And more importantly, your typically unwavering belief in her will give her that same confidence," Samantha continued, stroking the hair out of Giles's face. The Watcher was silent for a moment, staring off into the library with a contemplative expression on his face. He suddenly seemed to steel himself, and stood up with a firm nod. 

"You're right..." Giles whispered, holding out a hand to help Samantha off the floor.

"What?" Samantha asked, unable to hear him.

"I said, you're right. Buffy is so much more than her powers. She is...extraordinary in her own right. A force to be reckoned with. I've never doubted her before, and I shouldn't now. The Council may think they understand the Slayer, but they do not know the first thing about Buffy Summers," Giles said firmly, his hands grasping tightly to Samantha's shoulders.

"Now THAT sounds like the Rupert Giles I know," Samantha teased softly, quickly reaching up to wipe away a tear still left on Giles's face.

"To hell with the Council! Buffy deserves to know what is happening. She needs to know what is at stake...but..." Giles continued, his voice gruff as an angry, protective fire momentarily appeared in his eyes. He trailed off, the fire fizzling out again as his expression grew deflated.

"But you're worried about losing your position as Buffy's Watcher and subjecting her to more danger," Samantha finished, getting a nod from Giles.

"What should I do Sam?" Giles asked quietly, his eyes locked onto Samantha's as he fixed her with a pleading expression.

"Rupert... I can't tell you what to do in this situation. I trust your judgement, and know you will do what is necessary to protect Buffy. All I can tell you is this; to you, being her Watcher is more than just a job description. Whether you are officially her Watcher or not, I know you will never stop loving her, protecting her, guiding her, and watching over her. They can take away your job, but they cannot take Buffy away from you. I don't care who her new Watcher is, I know she'll always look to you first," Samantha answered, without an ounce of hesitation in her voice. Giles nodded slowly, an expression of resolve on his face.

"I'm going to tell her the truth, and if she can forgive me for what I've already done... well, that doesn't really matter. Whether she forgives me or not I will still try to help her in any way that I can," Giles said assuredly, his posture straightening.

"And the Council?" Samantha asked, admiration and pride in her eyes as she looked up at Giles.

"We will deal with that when it comes... all of us, together," Giles replied, squeezing Samantha's shoulders.

"They have no idea what they're in for," Samantha grinned, winding her arms around Giles's neck and pulling him closer, gently pressing her lips to his. Giles kissed her deeply, pouring every ounce of his gratitude, love, and pent up emotion into the kiss.

"I'd... better go find Buffy. If I tell her the truth now, it may force the Council to cancel the Cruciamentum momentarily and buy her more time," Giles said, reluctantly pulling away from Samantha.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Samantha asked, reaching out to adjust Giles's askew glasses.

"No darling, this is something I need to do myself," Giles said firmly, taking a shaky breath before walking over to his vest and blazer, grabbing them off the floor, and throwing them on.

"I'll be here if you need me," Samantha said, getting a soft smile from Giles as he made his way out of the book cage. He walked halfway across the library before suddenly coming to a stop, spinning around and striding back over to Samantha purposefully. He grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her fiercely, pulling her tightly into his embrace as his fingers wound through her silky hair.

"Thank you Sam... for everything. For the guidance, for the comfort, for the words of wisdom, for the illumination, for just... being you," Giles murmured, finally breaking the kiss to rest his forehead against hers.

"Anytime," Samantha replied, smiling up at him and pressing a chaste kiss to his jaw. Giles held her closely for a moment longer before pulling away, pausing one more time at the door of the book cage to look at her.

"And thank you for the distraction, it was... very much needed," Giles drawled out, shooting Samantha a grin.

"It was my pleasure. Next time, I think I'll distract you when you're closer to your desk..." Samantha replied, winking at Giles as his face flushed. The Englishman blew her a kiss before making his way across the library, with Samantha looking after him proudly as walked through the door and set off to find Buffy.

* * *

"Oh God, Rupert... where are you?" Samantha muttered to herself, fear coursing through her as tears started to prick at her eyes. She walked up to the front door of her apartment and turned the lock. She stepped inside to see a worried looking Giles sitting on her couch and let out a small gasp, alerting the man to her presence. Giles was instantly on his feet and walking over to her, pulling her into a crushing hug.

"Where have you been? I got here over an hour ago," Giles mumbled, his voice muffled by Samantha's hair.

"Looking for you. I was getting worried that I hadn't heard from you, so I drove by the library about three hours ago. I found Quentin, who finally agreed to tell me what was happening after I gave him a few choice words. He told me that Buffy was already engaged in the test and Joyce had been kidnapped, and then YOU went off to rescue Buffy from that unhinged vampire and... I was so SCARED Rupert," Samantha explained, letting out a shaky breath as she clung to Giles tightly.

"It's alright Sam..." Giles soothed, gently rubbing Samantha's back as he held her.

"I've been wandering around for the last couple of hours trying to find you and Buffy. I couldn't just stand by and wait to find out if either one of you had... anyways, I was going to drive by the library again to see if you two had come back, but I decided to stop here first and grab a coat because I'd already been out in the cold for hours and... oh Rupert, I'm just so glad you're okay!" Samantha cried, a tear trickling down her cheek as she felt Giles press a kiss to her forehead.

"I'm alright darling, a little tired and bruised, but fully intact," Giles said softly, hearing Samantha let out a watery chuckle.

"Buffy! Where's Buffy? Is she...?" Samantha asked suddenly, jerking away from Giles in sudden panic. 

"Buffy is fine, her and Joyce are both at home. Buffy killed Kralik, and I got there in time to kill Blair... Buffy and her mother are safe," Giles said reassuringly, smiling softly as Samantha visibly relaxed. Samantha paused for a moment to take a good look at him, her brow furrowing in concern as she reached out to gently touch the bruise forming on Giles's cheekbone.

"Are... are you hurt?" Samantha asked, wasting no time in doing a visual scan of her boyfriend's body to check for any other visible injuries. Giles chuckled and squeezed her tightly again, feeling his own heartbeat begin to slow now that Samantha was back in front of him again, safe and sound.

"Like I said before, just a few bruises... nothing to worry about. I even managed to avoid getting hit in the head this time around," Giles teased, getting a soft snort from Samantha.

"How did Buffy end up undergoing the test? I thought you left to go tell her what was happening?" Samantha finally asked, pulling away to look Giles in the eye. Her boyfriend sighed and led them over to the couch, the couple sitting side by side as they settled in.

"I did find her... and I told her everything. I told her about the test, about Quentin, about the injections, all of it. Needless to say, she was not pleased to hear about my involvement in all this. She... she demanded that I remove myself from her life and solicited a ride home from Cordelia," Giles began, a momentary flash of pain crossing his features as he recalled the devastated expression on his Slayer's face.

"I know that was difficult for you... but it's not like we expected a different reaction," Samantha said, taking Giles's hand and lacing their fingers together.

"Yes... you're right. Well, after Buffy left I sought out Quentin to let him know that I had told Buffy the truth, which was supposed to render the Cruciamentum null and void for the time being. However, when I found Quentin, he informed me that Buffy had already entered the field of battle..." Giles explained, causing Samantha look at him in surprise.

"Why would she...?" Samantha started to ask, before Giles interrupted her.

"I forgot to mention that I initially found Buffy on the run from Kralik. It seems that he managed to free himself from his restraints, kill Hobson, and convert Blair before escaping the Sunnydale Arms," Giles interjected, fiddling absentmindedly with his signet ring.

"Hobson and Blair?" Samantha asked, raising an eyebrow at Giles in confusion.

"Employees of the Council. They were stationed at the Arms to guard Kralik, but neither one of them were any match for a vampire of his caliber," Giles explained, getting a nod from Samantha.

"And when you say 'convert' Blair, you mean he was turned into a vampire?" Samantha asked.

"Exactly. Anyways, Kralik managed to locate and kidnap Joyce, which Buffy discovered upon returning home. Being Buffy, she immediately threw caution to the wind and sought out Kralik, who had brought Joyce back to the Sunnydale Arms. As Quentin so deftly put it, my failure as a Watcher did nothing to hinder Buffy's progress. Once she stepped foot into the Arms with the intent to kill Kralik, she had officially begun the Tento di Cruciamentum," Giles said, the bitterness evident in his tone.

"So you went after her," Samantha said gently, noticing Giles's expression soften a little.

"I made it very clear to Quentin that this was no longer about the test, nor was it 'just business.' I was not about to let this man's antiquated, bureaucratic foolishness get Buffy killed. I swore to Buffy I would protect her from Kralik and that is exactly what I intended to do. I left immediately for the Arms and found her struggling to free Joyce. Buffy had already killed Kralik, but Blair was closing in on her. Luckily, I got there just in time to take care of him," Giles said, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly as Samantha fixed him with a somewhat impressed look.

"Wait, how did Buffy kill Kralik? It couldn't have been easy without her powers," Samantha asked, prompting a proud grin from Giles.

"As you reminded me today, Buffy's abilities should NEVER be underestimated. Kralik takes pills to ease his psychosis. Buffy tricked him into taking his pills with Holy Water. He was dust before he realized what he had done," Giles said, chuckling slightly. Samantha grinned as well, feeling a swell of pride course through her as she thought about the scrappy teenage girl.

"That's our girl," Samantha replied, getting a nod from Giles.

"Mind you, she certainly would have taken less of a beating if she had access to her powers. But, as she's proven repeatedly, Buffy is a survivor, and the whole ordeal is officially over. Quentin came by the library while I was preparing to tend to Buffy's wounds and informed her that she had passed the test," Giles said, relief reflecting in Samantha's eyes. Noticing the slight tenseness in Giles's posture, Samantha's expression darkened.

"I take it Quentin wasn't thrilled with your involvement," Samantha said, causing Giles to grimace.

"No... he was not," Giles replied, hesitating slightly.

"He fired you... didn't he?" Samantha asked, understanding on her features as she squeezed Giles's hand tightly. Her boyfriend swallowed a lump in his throat and squeezed her hand back, nodding slowly.

"He said I had failed to remain objective in my position as a Watcher. He said... he said that my 'father's love' for Buffy was 'useless to the cause.' A new Watcher is already on his way to resume Buffy's training. I am allowed to remain involved, but there will be significant consequences if I attempt to interfere or undermine the new Watcher's authority in any way," Giles said quietly, his gaze fixed firmly on his signet ring. Samantha watched him for a moment before leaning over to tenderly kiss his cheek, snapping Giles out of his reverie and causing him to smile at Samantha.

"Are you okay?" Samantha asked, her voice filled with concern as she stared at Giles intently.

"Honestly, I am. I cannot pretend that it wasn't a blow, but... as you so wisely put it, being a Watcher is more than a job description to me. I will ALWAYS be there to protect and guide Buffy, for as long as she's willing to have me in her life. Firing me does nothing to change that. This also gives me the opportunity to operate outside of the stringent rules of the Council, which will serve to benefit both myself and Buffy," Giles replied, a grin growing on his face as he looked at Samantha. There was an assured determination in his tone, the calm confidence that had all but disappeared over the last two weeks finally present in his demeanor once again. Samantha beamed with pride as she gazed back at him, and captured his lips in a chaste kiss.

"How did Buffy take the news?" Samantha asked, watching Giles's expression carefully.

"She seemed... a bit shocked. One thing is clear, she has no love for the Council. I believe her parting words to Quentin were 'bite me,' which possessed an irony that I greatly appreciated," Giles grinned, the information causing Samantha to burst into laughter.

"Well, at least the Council knows where her loyalties lie," Samantha said, still giggling.

"Yes... and mine," Giles said firmly, his expression softening.

"And are you two okay?" Samantha asked, smiling at Giles knowingly.

"Never better. We had... a much needed discussion after Quentin left. I think... I think we are finally in a place where we can move beyond the restrictions of Watcher and Slayer... and just truly be friends," Giles answered, his voice cracking slightly as a warm smile spread across his face.

"What are you two going to do now?" Samantha asked, reaching out to lightly rub her thumb across Giles's bruised cheek.

"Well, I'm still the school's librarian. I'm not going anywhere, and the new Watcher is going to need assistance to help with his adjustment. Buffy will have to defer to his judgement, but we've already agreed to work around the rulings of the Council as best we can to ensure her further development and her safety. We are going to work this out together," Giles answered. 

"That goes for all of us," Samantha replied assuredly, getting a fond look from Giles in return.

"The Council best think twice before attempting to deceive us again," Giles said firmly, leaning in to kiss Samantha. He poured his overwhelming emotion into the kiss, attempting once again to express the love and gratitude he possessed for the woman sitting next to him in a way that words could not.

"I'll have more than just choice words for Quentin Travers if he ever shows his face around here again," Samantha mumbled as she pulled away, causing Giles to emit a deep chuckle.

"I am rather curious as to what you said to him," Giles said. Samantha merely grinned and kissed him again, before standing up from the couch and heading towards the stairs.

"Let's just say that for a man who's occupation involves vampires, demons, and other unholy creatures, he was REALLY easy to scare. Now, I'm going to bed, feel like keeping me company?" Samantha quipped, calling over her shoulder. Giles sat there for a moment, a wide grin on his face as he watched her walk up the stairs, feeling confident and relaxed for the first time in two long weeks.

"Coming darling," Giles laughed, before standing up and following Samantha into the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it for this chapter. It was definitely a long one, but I've always loved “Helpless” and felt there was so much fleshing out of Giles's character and elaborating on his and Buffy’s relationship, which to me really starts to develop on a deeper level after the events of this episode. The next chapter will be up soon, and will feature a little bit more of the whole gang. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	7. So What Am I So Afraid Of?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Here's the next chapter! As a general note, Giles and Samantha have been together for a total of 5 months now. Giles had just been removed as Buffy's Watcher (as detailed in last chapter) but the new Watcher isn't here yet. Giles and Sam are obviously in love with each other, but our favorite stuffy Brit has trouble getting the words out. This is basically a fluff chapter that finally gives Giles the courage to say what he needs to say... through song. This idea has been bouncing around in my brain awhile based on my love for Anthony Head's gorgeous voice (if you haven't heard him sing, PLEASE YouTube it or find his albums on Spotify) and because I have a soft spot for songfics. Also drew a little inspiration from Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (another fantastic show I highly recommend watching). Happy reading!   
> -OBG98

"Giles... toss me the fried rice would you?" Buffy called from Giles's living room, her feet propped up on the table in front of the couch as she glanced in the direction of the kitchen. The gang had gathered at Giles's apartment to research more about the Ascension plans and Mayor Wilkins's apparent involvement. Thai food was spread all around as they all poured over various texts. Willow and Oz were seated together on the other end of the couch, while Xander was dozing off in an armchair.

"How much would you like?" Giles asked from the counter, grabbing a spoon and preparing to scoop a portion of the rice onto a plate. 

"Just toss me the carton," Buffy replied, holding up her hand with a grin. Giles glanced up to glare at her, prompting a small smirk from Samantha, who was seated at Giles's desk.

"I am NOT throwing rice across my apartment Buffy, we are civilized human beings," Giles sniffed, causing Buffy to roll her eyes.

"You're a fun killer," Buffy grumbled, pouting a little as she shifted on the couch.

"Yes, because hurling rice across the apartment and having to clean up a large mess sounds incredibly enjoyable," Giles retorted.

"I'm not gonna DROP it Giles... Slayer reflexes, remember?" Buffy declared, wiggling her fingers to emphasize her point.

"It's not you he's worried about Buff, he probably can't throw that far. You forget that he's old and Giles," Xander chimed in from the armchair, seemingly awake for the moment and taking the opportunity to tease Giles.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Giles asked indignantly, turning his glare onto Xander.

"He means that you're a bit of a klutz," Buffy answered nonchalantly, standing up herself to collect the carton of fried rice.

"What? I... I am not!" Giles spluttered, causing Buffy to laugh and pat him on the back gently as she made her way out of the kitchen.

"You did trip over the edge of a table and knock down half a shelf of books in the library yesterday," Samantha called out, unable to resist.

"You are supposed to be on my side," Giles muttered, whipping around to glare at Samantha. The whole gang was laughing now, and took a few moments to recall various instances of Giles's clumsiness, much to the embarrassment of the Englishman in the kitchen.

"... and I didn't know it was possible to trip on air, but next thing I know there's tea everywhere and a group of freshman giggling from across the hallway," Buffy said, finishing a particularly entertaining story that causedSamantha to laugh so hard she almost fell out of her chair.

"Why do I invite the lot of you here?" Giles moaned, taking off his glasses and resting his head in his hands.

"Alright, we're done babe, we promise. We've embarrassed you enough for one evening," Samantha laughed, standing up and moving over to the counter to place a hand on Giles's shoulder.

"Go away," Giles mumbled, unable to hide his slight grin as he removed his hands from his face. Samantha merely smiled and pulled him into a quick embrace, leaning in to whisper into his ear.

"For the record, I happen to know you are DEFINITELY not a klutz where it counts... but we don't need to share that with them," Samantha murmured, kissing a sensitive spot beneath Giles's ear as she pulled away. Her boyfriend blushed profusely, a flash of desire in his eyes as Samantha removed her arms from around his neck and started back towards the desk. Forgetting they weren't alone for a moment, Giles smirked and let out a low growl, pulling Samantha back into his arms and kissing her soundly. He began to deepen the kiss, but heard Oz let out a long whistle which quickly brought Giles back to reality and caused the two adults to break apart. Samantha's face flushed and Giles ran a hand through his hair in embarrassment, acutely aware of the rest of the group watching the both of them.

"You good there Giles?" Buffy asked, glee evident in her tone as her ex-Watcher attempted to clear his throat.

"Damn..." Oz drawled out, shooting Giles a quick look of approval before grinning over at Willow.

"I wonder what she said to get that reaction?" Willow wondered aloud.

"Don't wanna think about it Wil... I have no desire to find out what they get up to when we aren't around," Xander shuddered, causing Giles to turn a fantastic shade of red and begin to mutter under his breath as Samantha giggled sheepishly. Buffy continued to stare at Giles and Samantha, hiding a smile when she noticed that Giles had not removed his arms from around Samantha's waist.

"Alright guys, lay off... he's gonna go all stuffy and British and freak out in a minute for engaging in PDA in front of us," Buffy said, shooting Giles a sympathetic look. The teenagers reluctantly pried their eyes away from the couple to give Giles a moment to compose himself.

"You okay?" Samantha asked, quickly glancing up at Giles. He had developed a somewhat panicked expression and was breathing rather heavily, making Samantha feel momentarily guilty for prompting his discomfort. She attempted to pull away from him in an effort to give him some space, but Giles held on tightly to her, causing her took back up at him in surprise.

"A bit embarrassed, but I'm alright. We're adults who... who care for each other. They'll just have to grow up and get used to it," Giles answered, his eyes sparkling despite the flush on his cheeks.

"Right. Who care for each other," Samantha replied, quickly kissing Giles's jawline to mask her profound disappointment at his choice of words. She pulled away as Giles tilted his head in silent question at her and moved to grab her coat and car keys from the desk.

"Well, I don't know about everyone else, but I think we're going to need more food. I'm sensing it's going to be a long night and having starving teenagers around may hinder our research. Any requests?" Samantha called out, her tone a little overly cheerful as she glanced over at the gang on the couch.

"Pizza?" Xander asked hopefully, causing Willow to wrinkle her nose and frown.

"How can you think about more food right now?" Willow said in disgust, causing Xander to raise his hands defensively.

"Hey, she offered. Like she said, it's gonna be a long night," Xander replied, getting a nod from Oz as well.

"Pizza it is then!" Buffy said happily, tossing the empty box of rice onto the table in front of her and grinning as Giles sighed in exasperation.

"I'll help you with pickup. You coming redhead?" Oz asked casually, gently pushing Willow off of him to stand and move towards Samantha.

"Um... I think I'll stay here," Willow replied, not really paying attention to her boyfriend. Instead, she adopted a curious expression as she glanced between the two adults, sensing astrange shift in the atmosphere between the two of them.

"Thank you Oz. Do you mind if we stop at the store as well? Giles will be useless without any tea," Samantha teased, pausing by the door to shoot Giles a grin. Oz nodded his head and opened the door, stepping aside to let Samantha out first.

"Oh, and could you also get..." Giles started, before Samantha quickly cut him off.

"More brandy? Already have it on the list. If these guys start driving you to drink before I get back, I stored a bottle underneath the liquor cabinet in case of an emergency. There's only about a glass left though, so use it sparingly," Samantha joked, causing Giles to break into an ear-splitting grin.

"God I lo...." Giles started, but quickly stopped himself, the room suddenly growing very still.

"What?" Samantha asked quietly, doing her best to keep overwhelming hope and anticipation from seeping into her tone as she stared intently at Giles. The teenagers all looked at each other excitedly, with Buffy desperately trying to catch Giles's eye and urge him on. Giles stood there, his gaze locked onto Samantha, before uncertainty once again appeared in his eyes and he glanced down at the floor, taking off his glasses and cleaning them absentmindedly with his tie.

"I um... I... thank you for thinking of that. It was... uh... thoughtful," Giles said, wincing at how ridiculous he sounded. The tension in the air deflated like a balloon, and no one could miss Samantha's shoulders slumping as disappointment and sadness overtook her.

"No problem... we'll be back in a bit," Samantha replied, not meaning to sound curt but unable to fully disguise her frustration. She quickly walked out the door before Giles could say anything else, leaving the Englishman staring at the closed door in awkward silence.

"That was... hard to watch," Xander finally said, causing Willow to glare at him.

"Xander... leave it..." Buffy warned, glancing over worriedly at Giles. He hadn't moved, but his jaw was set and his lips were drawn into a thin line as he continued to stare at the door. He silently made his way to the liquor cabinet and located the remainder of the brandy that Samantha said would be there. After a moment, Giles sighed and glanced back out into the living room.

"It... it wasn't the right moment. It was going to sound flippant, and besides, you lot are here," Giles answered, attempting to sound casual and keep his voice from trembling.

"That's a bullshit excuse and you know it!" Xander shot back, his tone a little venomous as he glared at Giles.

"Xander!" Willow admonished, motioning to her friend to drop the subject. Buffy continued to watch Giles with concern, noticing the unshed tears and the shaking hands as he poured himself a drink.

"Giles, we all love you, but we care about Samantha too. She's part of the gang, and I know I speak for all of us when I say we don't like watching her feelings get hurt. You guys have been together for five months now, and you are disgustingly in love, so why can't you just tell her that?" Xander exclaimed, causing Willow to fearfully look over at Giles to gauge his reaction. 

"You are out of line, and frankly it is none of your business. Besides, why must I say it first? She's perfectly capable of saying it... if that's how she feels," Giles said coolly, slamming his glass down onto the counter before walking back into the living room.

"I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking. It's beginning to seem like you're just toying with her feelings. Based on your reaction every time the subject comes up she's worried that she'll scare you off. She's made it clear that she loves you and that she's waiting for you to say something. She just wants reassurance that you feel the same way. She needs to know you want to take the next step, that this is actually going somewhere. It takes a lot to make her insecure, but right now she's questioning how you feel about her and if you've just been stringing her along for these past five months," Xander retorted, standing up from the chair and gesturing wildly.

"Xander. Stop." Buffy interjected, noticing Giles's eyes flash dangerously as he stepped closer to the young man.

"I mean... ARE you stringing her along? DO you even love her? Because right now, it seems like you aren't sure," Xander questioned, jutting his chin out in defiance.

"HOW DARE YOU QUESTION MY LOVE FOR HER!" Giles roared, stalking over to Xander and grabbing the young man by the collar of his shirt. 

"Giles! Calm down!" Buffy said firmly, quickly making her way to the librarian and grabbing him by the arm. Giles tried to resist, but Buffy employed her Slayer strength and forced him to release Xander, dragging him over to the couch and making him sit down. Giles's chest heaved with anger, both at Xander and himself, before slowly clearing his head and adopting a miserable expression, groaning as he rested his head in his hands. The room was quiet for a moment, before Xander made his way over to the older man and stood in front of him.

"Giles... if you don't tell her soon, you ARE going to lose her. We just... we don't want you to make a stupid mistake," Xander said softly. After a moment, Giles lifted his head and gave Xander a weak smile, before glancing over at Willow and Buffy.

"I've been in love with her for so long, well before we began seeing each other... I suppose I'm terrified she hasn't reached that same level of feeling yet. It's only been five months... I'm worried that she isn't ready and I'm going to push her away. I'd rather avoid the subject entirely than risk losing her," Giles answered honestly, causing Buffy to smile at him and place a hand on his shoulder.

"Seriously Giles, she's been waiting like... forever for you to tell her. Did you not see her reaction a few minutes ago? I'm beginning to think you're actually blind," Buffy replied, causing Giles to adopt a somewhat sheepish expression.

"Giles, we all know how this is going to go. You're going to admit you're in love with her, she'll be over the moon and say she feels the same way, you two will get all smoochy, and we'll all live happily ever after without the Giles and Samantha angst," Willow teased, getting a chuckle from Buffy and Xander.

"And if she doesn't feel the same?" Giles asked miserably, still unable to shake the self-doubt and trepidation he was feeling. 

"Giles... I promise you she does. But, if she doesn't, then at least you know. Then you can decide if you want to move forward and give her time to build to that, or move on. Being stagnant and dancing around your real feelings may seem like a safe option now, but I know from experience it only leads to anger, miscommunication, and heartbreak later on. We just want you both to be happy," Xander answered. Giles regarded the young man curiously, his eyebrows raising at the wisdom and maturity Xander had just exhibited.

"Right, well we should probably get back to research. I... I'll need some time to think about this... later..." Giles finally said, clearing his throat in slight discomfort at the emotional nature of the conversation and attempting to change the subject. Buffy, Xander, and Willow all groaned as Giles stood up from the couch, and began to speak over each other as they glared at Giles.

"Giles, THAT is EXACTLY what your problem is. You make all these excuses that you need 'time to think' and then just put it off and come up with reasons why you can't..." Buffy exclaimed.

"I swear, I will cast a SPELL on the both of you if you don't..." Willow threatened.

"Did you not hear what I just said? Grow a pair and tell her that you..." Xander called out. The sound of the phone ringing stopped all three teenagers in the midst of their tirade. Giles hurriedly picked up the receiver, more than a little grateful for the interruption.

"Hello? Oz... is everything alright? What's that? A demon... are you sure that... well I suppose that is a fairly definitive sign... is anyone injured?" Giles asked, running a hand through his hair and gesturing for Buffy to go retrieve some weapons. Willow and Xander were already on their feet, hurriedly putting on their coats.

"We are SO resuming this conversation later," Buffy hissed to her friends, gesturing in Giles's direction. Willow and Xander both nodded as Buffy briefly disappeared, returning with a pair of crossbows and an ax.

"Is Sam alri... She's doing WHAT? For God's sakes... No, no, just... don't let her get too close until we can determine what it is. We're on our way now... on Main Street you said? Near the ice cream parlor? We'll be there in less than five minutes... be careful..." Giles finished, frantically hanging up the phone and grabbing a crossbow from Buffy. He swore under his breath as he fumbled with his jacket, attempting to find his car keys in the pocket.

"Giles, what's going on?" Buffy asked, watching as Giles located his keys and practically sprinted towards the door.

"We need to go... unidentified demon by the ice cream parlor... Sam is distracting it..." Giles said, attempting to keep the panic from rising in his voice. The gang made their way out the door and rushed over to Giles's car, barely having time to pile into the seats before Giles sped off down the road.

"Giles... slow down. We won't be helpful if we're dead," Xander called out, closing his eyes tightly as Giles ran through a red light. The librarian gritted his teeth and ignored him, careening down the corner as his foot pressed firmly down on the gas pedal.

"Sam is going to be fine Giles, you need to calm down. You're supposed to be the level headed one here," Buffy said firmly, finally getting Giles's attention. He glared at her for a moment before sighing and easing up on the gas pedal, this time coming to a stop at the next red light.

"If anything happens to her..." Giles started, swallowing the lump growing in his throat as he stared at the light, willing it to turn green.

"She can handle herself, it's not the first demon she's taken down without you. Besides, Oz is with her. Take a deep breath, we're almost there," Buffy replied, her voice tinged with understanding as she watched Giles wrestle with his emotions. The light turned green, and Giles managed to keep himself from slamming on the gas as they continued down the road. They had reached Main Street, and Giles could make out screams as Sunnydale residents ran away from the direction of the ice cream parlor. As they drove past the entrance, the group saw Samantha and Oz standing in the corner of the parlor, waving their arms frantically in the direction of a large, blob-shaped, multicolored creature.

"Is that the best you can do ugly?" Samantha's voice called out, taunting the demon on the other side of the counter. The demon let out a loud, oddly musical, roaring sound, before an ice cream freezer came flying through the window with a resounding crash. Giles slammed on the brakes and parked the car, not bothering with the ignition as he reached for a crossbow and exited the vehicle in one fluid motion.

"Right then... let's go. Everyone be careful," Giles commanded, shouldering the crossbow as he charged recklessly into the ice cream parlor. The teenagers in the car stared after him for a moment, looking at each other incredulously.

"Be careful my ass," Buffy snorted, before she and her friends scrambled out the doors and sprinted into battle themselves.

* * *

"I picked the wrong day to wear my favorite pair of jeans, this stuff is never going to come out!" Samantha exclaimed, pushing her way through the door of Giles's apartment and glancing down at herself in disgust. She was covered head to toe in a form of blue liquid, and was doing her best not to drip all over Giles's floor as the rest of the gang piled in. Giles stood behind her, also covered in the same liquid as he attempted to fruitlessly clean the blue goo from his glasses. The teenagers had all managed to escape unscathed, with Buffy and Willow unable to conceal giggles as they looked over at the two adults.

"I fail to find this funny," Giles sniffed, glaring helplessly at his now thoroughly smudged glasses as he wiped some of the goo off his face.

"I'm sorry Giles... you just... you both look like Smurfs," Buffy chortled, sending Oz and Willow into a fit of laughter. Giles shot her a paralyzing glare, before turning his attention to Samantha, who was giggling as well.

"I mean... they aren't wrong," Samantha said, grinning unabashedly at Giles's incredulous look. This prompted an exasperated sigh from her boyfriend, who nonetheless adopted a small smirk as the relief that all of them had emerged from their battle with the demon in one piece overtook his annoyance.

"Willow, I need you to locate my copy of _Daemonologie_ on my bookshelf, it should be near the top. We need to determine what kind of demon this was and ensure that this substance won't lead to any ill effects," Giles said, his brow furrowing as he attempted to examine the goo on his fingertips more clearly.

"Giles? Can I just say that you're dating a badass? The way Samantha pelted the demon with ice cream to distract him long enough for Buffy to nail him with the crossbow? It was awesome," Xander interjected, shooting a grin over at the history teacher. The other teenagers nodded in agreement, causing Samantha to grin back and take a mocking bow.

"Technically, I distracted it first with my warning shot," Giles interjected, grinning teasingly at Samantha, who promptly raised an eyebrow at him.

"Which led to us both getting sprayed with this gunk. And warning shot? Really...?" Samantha shot back. Giles shrugged, blushing a little as he glared at Samantha. Buffy snickered as she settled back down onto the couch, exchanging a glance with Willow, who had located the text and set it down on Giles's desk.

"Well, it's all over, and luckily no one is injured. Now, this demon isn't one any of us have come across before, nor have I heard of a demon that sprays blue substances onto victims. Frankly, I'm a little concerned as to any possible long term effects, seeing as we both ingested some of it. We should both get this off our skin just in case it...." Giles started, launching into what both the Scoobies and Samantha affectionately referred to as "research mode," before he stopped suddenly. A strange look appeared on Giles's face as his eyes glazed over and he stood up ramrod straight, seeming momentarily frozen in place.

"Um... Giles? You okay?" Buffy asked, her tone growing concerned as she looked around at the others. Samantha took a step closer to Giles, worry plainly written on her face as her boyfriend stood stock still in the middle of the living room, his eyes glassy and unfocused.

"What's happening to him?" Willow asked quietly, looking over at Buffy and Xander with wide eyes. Oz placed a comforting hand on his girlfriend's shoulder, though his eyes betrayed concern as well.

"Rupert? Baby... what's wrong?" Samantha asked, stepping directly in front of Giles and taking his hands in hers, fear clutching at her heart as she stared at him. Giles's gaze fell on her, and his eyes were suddenly wild, with an expression on his face that Samantha had never seen before. He let go of her hands and jumped up onto the arm of the couch, spreading his arms out widely as he opened his mouth and began to sing.   
  


_"I was sleeping and right in the middle of a good dream,_

_Like all at once I wake up from something that keeps knocking at my brain._

_Before I go insane I hold my pillow to my head_

_And spring up in my bed screaming out the words I dread,_

_I think I love you..."_

Giles sang, his rich and powerful voice sending shivers down Samantha's spine despite the absurdity of the moment.

"Uh... what is happening right now?" Xander squeaked out, his jaw dropping in an almost comical manner as he attempted to process the scene unfolding in front of him. Buffy, Oz, Willow, and Samantha all wore similar expressions, staring at the apparently possessed Englishman in shock. Giles jumped down from the arm of the couch and approached Samantha, twirling her around and dipping her almost to the floor. He released her quickly and leaned up against the wall, crossing one leg over the other as he adopted a contemplative pose.   
  


_"This morning I woke up with this feeling,_

_I didn't know how to deal with and so I just decided to myself..._

_I'd hide it to myself and never talk about it_

_And did not go and shout it when you walked into the room,_

_I think I love you..."_

Giles crooned, executing a series of dance moves that almost appeared to be choreographed.

"He's actually... a REALLY good singer," Willow commented, sighing a bit wistfully as she looked over at the librarian. Xander looked at her as if she had grown two heads, while Buffy merely nodded in agreement as she continued to stare at her Watcher. Oz just shot Willow an amused smile before turning his attention back to Giles. Buffy tried to catch Samantha's eye,but the history teacher had also suddenly adopted the same strange expression, staring intently at Giles as she walked up to him and placed a hand on his chest.

_"I will find the time, we will find the timing,_

_'Cause you are on my mind, I hope that you don't mind it._

_You know that I want you, you know that I want you next to me,_

_But if you need some space I will step away._

_And I know it might sound stupid but for me, yeah yeah,_

_I just gotta keep believing and I've heard..."_

Samantha sang, her tone beautiful and a little wistful as she traced Giles's jawline.

"Uh oh..." Xander groaned, placing his head in his hands. Willow and Buffy also groaned, and the red headed witch immediately picked up the copy of Daemonologie on the desk, frantically flipping through the pages.

"Relax man, it could be worse," Oz said calmly, prompting Xander to glance up at him incredulously.

"How exactly?" Xander muttered, his expression more than a little horrified as he glanced at the two adults.

"Well, they could've been really shitty singers. At least it's entertaining," Oz quipped, sitting on the couch and taking a moment to enjoy the show. Giles had just run over to his desk and swept off its contents, before leaping up onto the desk top with surprising agility and elegance.

_"I think I love you, so what am I so afraid of?_

_I'm afraid that I'm not sure of a love there is no cure for._

_I think I love you, isn't that what life is made of?_

_Though it worries me to say that I never felt this way..."_

Giles belted out, pointing directly at Samantha as he jumped down from the desk and sauntered over to her.   
  


_"Some say you will love me one day,_

_And I will wait, I will wait to get your loving one day._

_Just say you will love me one day,_

_And I will wait, I will wait to get your loving one day..."_

Samantha sang back, turning on her heel in time to the song and pushing Giles away.

"It's got to be the goo right? Making them do... whatever this is?" Xander asked, gesturing awkwardly between Samantha and Giles. Buffy started to nod at Xander, but stopped short, her eyes widening as she regarded Giles for a moment.

"You guys... have you been paying attention to what Giles is singing? Like... the lyrics?" Buffy asked excitedly, causing Willow to look up from the book.

"Nope, too busy being completely DISTURBED!" Xander exclaimed dramatically, prompting Buffy to roll her eyes.

"I mean yeah... it's the song from _The_ _Partridge Family_. Honestly, I was expecting something better from him," Oz replied nonchalantly, shaking his head in slight disapproval.

"Guys... focus! Giles is admitting his FEELINGS. Seriously, listen!" Buffy hissed, motioning for everyone to be quiet as the attention returned to the two adults. Giles had spun Samantha back around and dropped to his knees, grasping at her hands and holding them tightly.   
  


_"I don't know what I'm up against._

_I don't know what it's all about._

_I got so much to think about._

_Hey, I think I love you, so what am I so afraid of?_

_I'm afraid that I'm not sure of a love there is no cure for._

_I think I love you, isn't that what life is made of?_

_Though it worries me to say I never felt this way..."_

Giles sang softly, a flash of pain and uncertainty in his eyes as he gazed up at Samantha.

"Where was all this a couple hours ago?" Xander quipped, watching as Samantha reached out and caressed Giles's cheek with her fingertips.   
  


_"I promise that I'll try, that I will try to meet someone._

_And there's so many guys, who told me I deserve someone._

_I wanna call you up but maybe it will only make it worse._

_I guess that I just don't know what to do with myself._

_'Cause I know it might sound stupid but for me, yeah yeah,_

_I just gotta keep believing and I've heard..._

_Some say you will love me one day,_

_And I will wait, I will wait to get your loving one day._

_Just say you will love me one day,_

_And I will wait, I will wait to get your loving one day..."_

Samantha sang, pulling Giles up from off the floor and holding his hands tightly to her chest, resting just above her heart.

"It sounds like Samantha is doing the same thing," Willow said, glancing over at Buffy.

"Do you think they realize what they're doing? I mean, they're both admitting some pretty deep and repressed emotions here," Xander asked.

"I don't know... but it seems like it's... coming from the heart," Buffy said, pausing for a minute and fighting back a grin as Giles began to dance again.   
  


_"Just say you'll love me one day_

_Just say you'll love me one day_

_I'll give you space to the moon if it's what you need_

_Just say you one day will bring back yourself to me..."_

Samantha continued to sing, reaching out a hand towards Giles.   
  


_"Believe me you really don't have to worry,_

_I only wanna make you happy and if you say 'hey go away' I will._

_But I think better still I'd better stay around and love you,_

_Do you think I have a case? Let me ask you to your face..."_

Giles sang, his verse overlapping with Samantha's as their voices melded together in a strange but powerful duet.

"Wait... the heart? I think I saw something in here that talks about... here it is! You guys, I found the demon!" Willow exclaimed excitedly, prompting the others to quickly gather around the desk.

"What is it Wil?" Buffy asked, nudging Xander out of the way to take a better look at the page Willow was reading.

"It's a Canticuus demon!" Willow said, proudly pointing to the picture next to a Latin transcription. The image in the book was identical to the demon they'd encountered in the ice cream parlor.

"Canticuus?" Xander asked, his eyebrows raised in confusion as he looked at the picture.

"Yeah, it comes from the Latin word for 'song.'" Willow said distractedly, reading further in the text.

"So... it's a... song demon?" Xander asked, his confusion increasing.

"The Canticuus possesses typical traits associated with less intelligent demons, except for its primary defense mechanism. It secretes a mucus when it's threatened that, if it gets ingested, manipulates the mind of a victim into a trance and forces them to sing a 'heart song,' which is an 'expression of a person's inner essence, underlying identity, deepest desire, or truest feeling...'" Willow read, looking up at the rest of the gang with a grin.

"So... how long are they going to be like this?" Buffy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Um... It says here that it depends on how much of the mucus was ingested. Giles said he and Samantha didn't swallow too much of it, so in all likelihood it'll only last one song," Willow said, consulting the book quickly.

"Are they gonna remember any of this?" Xander asked, looking over at the two adults. They were standing across from one another, a few feet apart, and appeared to be finishing their songs.  
  


" _Do you think you love me?_

_I think I love you..._

_I think I love you..._

_I think I love you..._

_I think I love you..._

_I think I love you..."_

Giles sang, drawing out the last note as he took a step closer to Samantha.

_"Some say you will love me one day_

_And I will wait, I will wait to get your loving one day_

_Just say you will love me one day_

_And I will wait, I will wait to get your loving one day..."_

Samantha sang back, mirroring Giles's movements and taking a step towards him as well.

"Well, I guess we're about to find out," Oz said, nodding his head in the direction of Samantha and Giles. The singing had stopped and their eyes had become glassy and unfocused again, remaining frozen in their current positions. Giles moved first, suddenly shaking his head as if to clear it and blinking rapidly. Samantha followed suit, until it was clear both of them were no longer under the influence of the mucus. 

"Wh... what... was that?" Giles stammered, glancing around wildly in search of an explanation.

"Giles! Samantha! You're back! I mean... you're not all... musically... and stuff," Buffy cheered, walking over to give the both of them a hug but stopping short when she remembered the goo still covering Giles and Samantha's clothes. The two adults paid no attention to the teenagers in the room, and instead stood in complete silence, their eyes locked on one another as they processed what had just happened.

"Samantha... did... did you...? Could you... hear what I...?" Giles stuttered, his face pale and his expression almost ill as he looked at Samantha.

"I... yeah. And could you...? Did you hear...?" Samantha stammered back, her eyes wide as she looked back at Giles.

"Yes..." Giles whispered softly, his tone wracked with emotion. The room descended into an awkward silence, before Willow cleared her throat and waved her hands excitedly.

"Hey guys! Don't you want to see what we found out about the...?" Willow started, but Buffy cut her off with a sharp look.

"Not the time Wil..." Buffy said, her eyebrows furrowed with worry as she glanced back over at Samantha and Giles.

"Sam I... I'm sorry I... I... I didn't mean to..." Giles choked out, unable to think of the proper thing to say in that moment.

"No, don't... it's... we weren't... we had no control... we weren't thinking... don't feel like you have to say..." Samantha rambled, grasping desperately for a semblance of calm and dignity as another wave of disappointment overwhelmed her.

"No! That's... that's not what I..." Giles interjected, panicking when he noticed the somewhat dejected tone in Samantha's voice and cursing himself inwardly for his cowardice and complete lack of tact.

"Rupert... please... you don't have to... it was just a song," Samantha said, smiling weakly at him. She shifted uncomfortably, and became aware of the goo still dripping down her body. Giles noticed this and sighed, shoving his hands deep into his pockets.

"We... we should probably rinse all this off. I think... I think it's effects have run their course but just to be safe..." Giles replied, carefully looking away from Samantha and fixing his expression onto the floor.

"Right... you can go first. It'll take me longer to get this stuff out of my hair, and you can get to researching faster," Samantha started, holding up a hand when Giles began to protest. 

"She has a point," Xander offered feebly. Giles glanced up at him, seemingly aware for the first time of the teenagers' presence. He stood still for a moment before nodding wordlessly and turning on his heel to disappear into the bathroom. Samantha stared after him for a moment, her expression melancholy and hurt. Silently, she made her way into the kitchen and grabbed a sponge, some paper towels, and a few dish towels before coming back into the living room. She knelt down and began to scrub furiously at the blue goo that was on the floor, her back turned to the Scoobies.

"What do we do?" Willow asked, leaning over to whisper towards Buffy.

"I don't know," Buffy replied, shaking her head as she watched Samantha. The gang all stood quietly for a minute, before Buffy made her way over to Samantha and knelt down beside her, grabbing a paper towel and wiping up some of the blue substance off the floor. Samantha looked over at her gratefully, and Buffy felt a pang shoot through her heart when she noticed that the history teacher had been crying.

"I... I don't know what he's thinking right now," Samantha explained, her voice trembling a little as she wiped at her eyes.

"He's probably thinking the same thing about you," Buffy replied, placing a hand on Samantha's shoulder and squeezing it gently.

"I never meant to... I know it makes him uncomfortable. I don't want him to feel obligated to... I'm not going to hold him accountable for what he expressed while under the influence of demon goo..." Samantha said, trailing off as she realized how unconvincing she sounded, even to herself. Buffy raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing, instead gesturing over to her friends. The rest of the gang came over and began to help wipe down the floor, forcing Samantha to remain in one spot to keep from spreading more goo around. They had managed to clean most of the mess by the time a clean and dressed Giles re-emerged, who paused in the hallway entrance to admire the group's handiwork.

"The bathroom is available," Giles said awkwardly, avoiding eye contact with everyone as Samantha stood and made her way past him. She paused at the bathroom door for a moment, before looking over at Giles, a sad but understanding expression on her face.

"Rupert...I want you to know that we're fine, it doesn't change anything. It was just... two dumb songs brought on by demon goo. I know it didn't mean anything, so don't worry about it," Samantha said, her tone betraying her as her voice cracked slightly. She managed another weak smile before entering the bathroom and closing the door behind her.

"Should we say something?" Xander asked, causing both Willow and Buffy to emphatically shake their heads. The Scoobies all stared at Giles, concern written plainly on their faces as the former Watcher stared in the direction of the bathroom door. His shoulders were tense and his jaw was set as a flood of emotions flickered through his piercing green eyes. He stood there for a long while, completely lost in thought, before demeanor shifted and he cleared his throat.

"Could... could you all... leave for awhile?" Giles finally asked, his voice sounding hoarse and strangled as he spoke.

"But what about the demon...? And then we still have to figure out what the Mayor..." Willow protested, squeaking when Buffy elbowed her in the side.

"I'm not asking for you to leave all night, just... this is something the two of us need to discuss alone," Giles replied, turning to face the teenagers with an expression none of them had seen before.

"Sure Giles... we... um... we'll go pick up that pizza. Hopefully demon-free this time," Buffy said quickly, attempting to keep her tone light. Giles nodded, obviously distracted as he waited for the Scoobies to make their exit. The gang made their way out the door somewhat reluctantly, pausing to look at Giles one more time.

"Are you sure we should go?" Xander asked, glancing over at Buffy worriedly.

"Just let them have their space. Right now, we're too many cooks in an overly crowded kitchen," Oz replied, before reaching around and shutting the door. Once Giles was sure that they had left, he quickly made his way upstairs and grabbed his guitar, before coming back down and taking a seat on the edge of the armchair. He began to strum out a few chords, humming along quietly to the soft music. The minutes passed as he continued to practice, pausing every so often to experiment with a new riff.

"She's going to think you're still possessed..." Giles thought, a wry smirk appearing on his face as he held the guitar gingerly. He noticed his hand shaking as he clutched at the neck of the instrument and scowled, feeling his fear began to get the better of him once again.

"No... not this time. It's time to face the music..." Giles said aloud, groaning a little as he realized what he said and how much the ridiculous colloquial sayings of the teenagers had rubbed off on him. He strummed absentmindedly on the guitar, doing his best to keep his anxiety at bay as he waited for Samantha to emerge from the bathroom. He inhaled sharply when he heard the door open, and steeled his nerves as she walked down the hallway. Her hair was still wet from the shower, and she was wearing one of Giles's old t-shirts along with a pair of clean sweatpants she kept at his apartment. Giles felt his heart swell as he watched her, and he knew that, no matter what happened, he couldn't keep his love for her bottled up any longer.

"Rupert...?" Samantha whispered, confusion evident in her voice as she paused in the hallway. Giles gestured for her to sit on the couch, smiling warmly as she sat down and looked back and forth between him and the guitar.

"Before you ask, my wits are entirely about me. This isn't some residual effect from the demon secretion," Giles said quickly, causing Samantha to shoot him a small grin.

"Where are the kids?" Samantha asked, looking around for any sign of the Scoobies.

"They went to go retrieve a pizza. I... I had something I wanted to say to you... alone," Giles explained.

"Rupert, I told you that you don't have to..." Samantha started, her grin fading as she shook her head.

"Sam, this has nothing to do with what just happened..." Giles interrupted. Samantha raised an eyebrow at him, causing the Englishman to adopt a slightly sheepish look as he held up a hand defensively.

"Alright, so it has a LITTLE to do with what just happened, but it isn't... it's more than that. I've been searching desperately for the right words since the moment I met you. I never imagined that an individual as extraordinary as you would ever be interested in someone like me. Every second I'm with you, I consider myself to be the luckiest man on earth. You are beautiful in every sense of the word. Your wit, bravery, intelligence, kindness, and spirit never fail to astound me..." Giles said, his voice catching a little in his throat as he watched Samantha's eyes fill with tears.

"You put me up on this pedestal Rupert. You're just as extraordinary, if not more so..." Samantha said softly, causing Giles to shake his head.

"There is no pedestal Sam, I am simply describing you as I see you, as I HAVE seen you for years. Ironically, for all my time spent amongst books and various forms of literature, I am rubbish when it comes to expressing matters of the heart. So, to keep myself from mucking it up, I'm going to tell you something in the best way I know how," Giles said, moving his fingers along the neck of the guitar.

"Rupert..." Samantha breathed softly, her expression soft as she looked at him. Giles began to play, his fingers deftly navigating the strings as he strummed out familiar sounding chords.

_"Though I've tried before to tell her_

_Of the feelings I have for her in my heart._

_Every time that I come near her_

_I just lose my nerve as I've done from the start..._

_Every little thing she does is magic_

_Everything she do just turns me on_

_Even though my life before was tragic_

_Now I know my love for her goes on..."_

Giles sang, slowing the tempo of the upbeat song until it almost sounded like a ballad. Samantha just watched him as he played, her eyes filling with tears as she realized what was happening.

_"Do I have to tell the story_

_Of a thousand rainy days since we first met?_

_It's a big enough umbrella_

_But it's always me that ends up getting wet..._

_Every little thing she does is magic_

_Everything she do just turns me on_

_Even though my life before was tragic_

_Now I know my love for her goes on..."_

Giles continued, eyes blazing with emotion. The brown patch in his left eye was a warm contrast to the pale green, and seemed to enhance the spark in his eyes as he gazed as Samantha from behind the lenses of his glasses.

_"I resolved to call her up_

_A thousand times a day_

_And ask her if she'll marry me_

_Some old-fashioned way_

_But my silent fears have gripped me_

_Long before I reach the phone_

_Long before my tongue has tripped me_

_Must I always be alone...?"_

Giles crooned softly, executing a quick riff at the end of the bridge. Samantha allowed herself to close her eyes and lose herself in the soulful and gravelly tone of Giles's singing voice. Samantha utterly relished whenever Giles sang, and often teased him about missing out on his real calling. The teasing always had a ring of truth to it, as her boyfriend was INSANELY talented and had been gifted with a gorgeous, swoon-worthy voice that always attracted a crowd when he played in public. As she sat there listening to Giles sing just for her, she realized with startling clarity that she wanted a lifetime of Giles strumming away at the guitar, singing to her and with her, and eventually singing lullabies to their children as they put them to sleep. Opening her eyes suddenly, Samantha bit back a chuckle at how far ahead of herself she was getting, and tabled the thought for the future as she focused back on the present.

_"Every little thing she does is magic_

_Everything she do just turns me on_

_Even though my life before was tragic_

_Now I know my love for her goes on_

_Every little thing she does is magic_

_Everything she do just turns me on_

_Even though my life before was tragic_

_Now I know my love for her goes on..."_

Giles finished, playing one last riff on the guitar to close out the song. The strains of the final notes died away, and the pair of them sat in silence, neither of them quite willing to end the moment.

"The Police was a much better choice than The Partridge Family," Samantha finally said, letting out a watery laugh as tears streamed openly down her face. Giles was kneeling in front of her in an instant, the guitar propped up against the armchair as he moved to take her hands in his. 

"I am so sorry it's taken me so long to do this... that it's potentially made you doubt how I truly feel for you. I was terrified that I'd push you away, that I would come on too strong and misinterpret your feelings for me. I reminded myself time and time again that our relationship had only been a reality for five months, and not the years I've spent developing my feelings for you. I thought it would be easier to keep silent and cherish what we do have together. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you, even at the risk of never acknowledging the depth of my feelings. But I'm done making excuses. At the risk of sounding melodramatic, you deserve someone who shouts their feelings from rooftops, who isn't afraid to tell you every second of the day how he feels, who ensures that you never have doubts or insecurities surrounding your relationship. You deserve..." Giles continued, before Samantha reached out and pressed a finger to his lips.

"You. I deserve YOU Rupert Giles, and I won't let you say otherwise," Samantha interrupted, earning a rather adoring expression from Giles in return. He pressed a reverent kiss to her fingertip before holding both her hands tightly once again, taking a deep breath as his green eyes met her sparkling blue ones.

"I love you Samantha Doolittle, and I have loved you practically from the moment we met. I'm sorry I've been such a cowardly, insecure pillock and kept you waiting this long to hear it, but I need you to know that I am so, irrevocably in love with you," Giles said passionately, his heart almost bursting when he saw Samantha's wide smile and the tears in her eyes.

"Oh my God!" A voice exclaimed from behind the front door, causing both Giles and Samantha to startle. There was a sudden flurry of shushing, whispers and movement coming from the behind the doorway, prompting Giles to roll his eyes.

"Is nothing SACRED?" Giles exclaimed, making sure his voice could be heard through the door as he shook his head incredulously. There was more poorly concealed muttering coming from outside, and Samantha let out a giggle at Giles's exasperated expression as he glared at the still closed door.

"Rupert?" Samantha said softly, placing a hand on his cheek and guiding him back to face her. Samantha's eyes were alight with love, amusement, and sheer joy as she gazed at the man in front of her, and Giles immediately forgot about the nosy teenagers at the door as his breath hitched.

"Yes?" Giles rasped out, holding Samantha's gaze and allowing his love for her to shine through his eyes.

"I love you too. I can't tell you how happy I am right now... I am so, SO in love with you," Samantha gushed, causing Giles to break into a blinding smile.

"You are?" Giles whispered, his tone wondrous as he reached out and caressed Samantha's cheek.

"I am," Samantha affirmed, her blue eyes sparkling as she leaned into his touch. Giles was still for a moment before letting out a happy shout and pulling Samantha into his arms, picking her up and twirling her around. Samantha laughed joyously, feeling dizzy from both the twirling and the moment as Giles finally set her down. The Englishman began to whisper a chorus of 'I love you's' in her ear, finding himself suddenly unable and unwilling to stop saying those words.

"Again, I am so sorry I didn't do this ages ago. I promise going forward that I'll..." Giles rambled, his brow furrowing as he framed Samantha's face with his hands.

"Rupert... will you just shut up and kiss me?" Samantha laughed, winding her arms around Giles's neck and pressing her lips firmly against his before he had the chance to respond. Giles felt Samantha's tongue press insistently against his bottom lip, and opened his mouth to deepen the kiss, letting out a small groan as Samantha threaded her fingers through his soft, thick hair.

"I love you..." Giles murmured, his breath hot against Samantha's skin as he trailed kisses down her neck. He nudged her towards the couch insistently, his lips finding hers again as Samantha laid back against the arm of the couch and tugged him down with her. Giles's hands made their way under Samantha's t-shirt, and his fingers ghosted over Samantha's smooth skin as he gripped her hips gently, causing her to moan softly in his ear.

"You guys okay? It's real quiet in there!" Xander shouted from outside, his voice muffled through the door.

"Xander!" Willow admonished, before another series of shuffling and mumbling could be heard from outside.

"What? The pizza is getting cold," Xander whined, his voice growing a little quieter. Giles and Samantha froze mid-kiss, before Giles finally broke apart from Samantha and rested his forehead against hers with a sigh.

"How difficult is it to obtain a restraining order in America?" Giles grumbled, prompting a giggle from Samantha as she gently pushed on Giles's chest, forcing him to sit up.

"We'll revisit this later babe... I promise," Samantha whispered, nipping lightly at Giles's ear and grinning as she watched his eyes darken a shade. Samantha stood quickly and made her way towards the door, pausing for a moment to flash Giles a brilliant smile before turning the handle. The four teenagers on the other side of the door all stumbled into the room, doing their best to appear nonchalant but failing miserably.

"How much did you hear?" Giles asked with a sigh, his annoyance significantly undermined by the ridiculous grin his face as he gazed at Samantha.

"Um.... most of it? In our defense, we didn't know the pizza would be ready that fast," Buffy admitted, glancing excitedly between Giles and Samantha.

"So... it worked out pretty much exactly like I said it would?" Willow asked Giles gleefully, causing the librarian to blush. Giles stood up and made his way over to Samantha, his embarrassment diminishing and a soft smile appearing on his face as he caught her eye.

"It did," Giles replied, leaning down to press a chaste kiss to Samantha's lips for emphasis. The Scoobies all began cheering and congratulating one another, prompting both adults to roll their eyes.

"The sooner we get them started on research, the sooner it is they'll leave and we can finish what we started earlier," Samantha whispered in Giles's ear, grinning when she heard him inhale sharply. The Englishman let out a quick cough as he attempted to clear his throat, shooting Samantha a teasing glare when he noticed her smirking at him.

"RIGHT, well... we are significantly behind in our plans this evening after all the interruptions, so we'd best get back to work," Giles exclaimed loudly, finally managing to get everyone's attention.

"Fine... but I am SO getting the details later," Buffy whined dramatically, getting an emphatic nod of agreement from Willow. Giles raised an eyebrow at the both of them but said nothing, instead electing to grab a book from his desk and settle into the armchair. Giles began to read, vaguely aware of the Scoobies squabbling over slices of pizza and a seat on the couch. After a moment, Giles glanced up to smile at the chaotic, yet strangely comforting, scene in front of him, and caught Samantha's eye from across the room.

"I love you," Giles mouthed, slightly overwhelmed with emotion as he gazed at Samantha.

"Love you too," Samantha mouthed back, absolutely beaming as she gazed back at him. The both of them wore matching grins as they savored the moment and the events of the evening. Finally, Giles shot Samantha a wink and glanced around at the oblivious Scoobies with a fond smile, before settling further into the armchair and getting back to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it for this chapter. Like I said, I'm a sucker for songfics and I couldn't get this idea out of my head. The songs used in here are:   
> -"I Think I Love You" by The Partridge Family/David Cassidy   
> -"Some Say" by Nea   
> -"Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" by The Police   
> One other quick note, I derived the name of the demon from actual Latin, and Daemonologie is a very real text, but the Canticuus demon is my own creation as far as I'm aware. The next chapter will be up soon, and will introduce Wesley Wyndam-Pryce onto the scene. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and stay tuned!


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